Fourth Committee, 23rd plenary meeting - General Assembly, 81st session

Thank you. Thank you.

The 23rd meeting of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee is called to order. The Committee will begin today its consideration of agenda item 47, entitled United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. The Committee has before it the following documents: the report of the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, covering the period from 1 January to 31 December 2025, contained in document A/81/13; the report of the Working Group on the Financing of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, contained in document A/81/331; the report of the Secretary-General on Palestine refugees' properties and their revenues, contained in document A/81/310, as well as a note by the Secretary General transmitting the 80th report of the United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine, contained in document A/81/327. This morning, the UNRWA Commissioner General will deliver an introductory statement, followed by an interactive dialogue. Next, the rapporteur of the Working Group on the Financing of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East will brief the Committee on the work of the Working Group. Thereafter, the Committee will begin its general debate on this agenda item. In line with past practice, We will take action on the draft proposal submitted under this item on Wednesday, 18 November 2026. I warmly welcome the UNRWA Commissioner-General ad interim, Mr. Christian Saunders, and invite him to address the Committee. You have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Excellencies, good morning. I'm grateful for this opportunity to address you as Palestine refugees and UNRWA face mounting challenges, particularly in the occupied Palestinian territory. I'm sure we have all seen the appalling images coming out of Gaza this last week, resulting from the storms and the heavy rains. The people of Gaza have already endured so much, but are now facing yet another winter in conditions that no human being should have to endure. We are there. UNRWA is there on the ground, supporting the people, as we have done now for nearly 80 years, to the best of our abilities. But that ability to support, to continue to fulfil our mandate, is gradually being eroded. The confluence of operational constraints imposed on UNRWA and the chronic underfunding of the agency, now compounded by sweeping changes to the global funding landscape for humanitarian and development work, is seriously affecting our personnel and those we serve. I deeply regret that the growing financial constraints may soon compel me to take further operational decisions affecting the employment of UNRWA personnel. UNRWA’s budget deficit for 2026 is 250 million US dollars. This includes a cash flow deficit of approximately 70 million US dollars along with very limited prospects for new funding in the coming months. At a time when Palestine refugees face such profound hardship, any such measures would be especially heartbreaking. Yet without an urgent injection of funding, I see no other way forward. Distinguished delegates, the choice before you is stark, and the time to act is now. Mr. Chair, against impossible odds and thanks to the extraordinary dedication of its workforce, UNRWA continues to deliver the mandate entrusted to it by the General Assembly. In Gaza, despite the challenging environment and significant operational impediments and restrictions, UNRWA still provides protection and assistance to some 1.7 million Palestinians. The Agency remains one of the largest providers of emergency learning and psychosocial support across the Gaza Strip, and since the beginning of the new school year in September 2026, more than 117,000 children have been engaging on a regular basis in learning activities in 85 temporary learning spaces, while some 280,000 children are registered on the Agency's digital learning platform, which supports basic literacy and numeracy. UNRWA is also the largest single provider of primary health care consultations in Gaza, apart from the Ministry of Health. In 2026, more than 1,300 health care workers have provided an average of 75,000 medical consultations each week. The agency also supports public health through immunization, nutrition screening, and pest control. Our water wells, desalination systems, and waste management services benefit well over a million people. The provision of such essential services is integral to the early recovery and stabilization efforts currently underway. UNRWA's experienced workforce, service delivery infrastructure, and relationship of trust with the Palestinians in Gaza remain vital assets to the international community. Nearly a year after the adoption of Security Council Resolution 2803, material progress on the ground remains elusive. UNRWA stands ready today, as it did a year ago when Resolution 2803 was adopted, to work with any and all authorized entities, including the Board of Peace and the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, to advance peace and recovery. Excellencies, Beyond Gaza, UNRWA's role is no less important. In the occupied West Bank, amid intensifying military operations, rampant settler violence, immense pressure on the Palestinian Authority, and the unlawful seizure of its premises in occupied East Jerusalem, UNRWA continues to provide essential services to nearly a million Palestinian refugees. In Lebanon, where Palestine refugees face profound socioeconomic exclusion, UNRWA remains a lifeline and helps ensure stability. In Syria, a deeply vulnerable population of Palestine refugees relies on the Agency for access to basic services and greater inclusion. In Jordan, the Government has repeatedly underscored the Agency’s crucial role and counseled against its weakening. Mr. Chair, Despite UNRWA’s indisputable contributions to the well-being and dignity of Palestine refugees and to regional stability, the Agency’s financial situation continues to deteriorate. A severe cash flow crisis is jeopardizing the viability of our operations and the welfare of our staff, with inevitable consequences for the Palestine refugees who rely on our services. The steady implementation of austerity and cost control measures since 2024 has resulted in savings amounting to 240 million US dollars in total, with 65 million US dollars of that attributable to reduced service delivery hours in 2026 alone. Despite these measures and strict cash flow management, UNRWA's operations, regrettably, and despite the extraordinary efforts of our staff, continue to deteriorate in scope and quality. The agency faces a cash flow shortfall of approximately 70 million for 2026. To keep paying our personnel through the end of the year, I will need to ask the emergency relief coordinator, Tom Fletcher, for a loan from the Central Emergency Response Fund, the CERF fund. This is a stopgap, not a solution. It does not address the underlying structural weaknesses in the agency's financial situation. The projected income in the first quarter of 2027 will not allow us to absorb a large deficit in 2026. As noted earlier, in the absence of receiving a significant amount of new funding and without any other remedial action, the continued delivery of critical services to millions of Palestine refugees across the region is at serious risk. This is not the Agency crying wolf. This is fact. Excellency, To preserve UNRWA's ability to fulfill its General Assembly mandate and to ensure Palestine refugees continued access to basic services, the Agency is reviewing its operational programmatic work. The purpose is to ensure that scarce funds are being utilized as efficiently and effectively as possible, and that these funds benefit those most in need. This must be our priority. It is my belief that over time, UNRWA needs to develop a more effective and sustainable service delivery model. This will not be today or tomorrow, but over time we will need to adapt the how, the what, and the to whom, so that UNRWA can meet the changing needs of the Palestine refugee population and live within its means. The evolution will be orderly and tailored to the specific context and needs of each of UNRWA's five fields of operation. This evolution of the Agency's service delivery model will need to be carried out in close cooperation with and with the support of host countries and other members of the Agency's Advisory Commission. Throughout this evolution of the Agency, the priority will be to safeguard equitable access to essential services for Palestine refugees, with particular attention to women, the youth, and the needs of the most vulnerable. There will also be a greater focus on creating livelihood opportunities that promote self-reliance and resilience. The Agency's capacity to deliver emergency assistance will be preserved, and protection will remain at the heart of everything that we do. I want to and must emphasize here that none of this entails a change to UNRWA's mandate or to the rights and status of Palestine refugees. This is important. We believe that this evolution can be achieved within the existing mandate, despite the recent disinformation and misinformation emanating from certain interest groups. There is no intention to run away from the responsibilities entrusted to us by this Assembly or to dismantle or eliminate the Agency. Excellencies, UNRWA was established by the General Assembly as a temporary agency. pending a just and lasting solution to the plight of Palestine refugees. Much has changed in the intervening decades. Today, the Agency and the Palestine refugees it supports need more than expressions of solidarity and goodwill. Political commitments must be backed by robust financing to enable the Agency to undertake the improvements needed to place it on a more sustainable footing. Failure to adapt will condemn Palestine refugees to increasingly greater hardship and despair, while weakening prospects for a much-needed political solution. I therefore urge you to take immediate action to sustain UNRWA until such a solution is at hand. I thank you.

I would like to thank.

Mr. Sanders for his briefing. The Committee will now have an interactive dialogue. Delegations are invited to press their microphone button to request the floor. Does any delegation wish to pose questions at this stage? I do not see any requests for the floor. In that case, I would like to thank Mr. Saunders for his statement. Libya. This is not yet the general debate. I’d just like to clarify that.

This is the interactive dialogue.

Yes.

Thank you, Chair. We thank you for your briefing and your report on the work of UNRWA for 2025. We would like to commend more than 10,000 personnel that continue working in Gaza under bombings and siege, and their colleagues in Jordan, Jerusalem, Lebanon, and Syria. We pay tribute to 395 colleagues who passed away during the genocide on Gaza. This is the highest number of victims of UN personnel. According to your report, the UNRWA is being targeted by different through different specters, especially in Sheikh Jarrah and Qalandiya. as well as the siege that is preventing it since March 2025 from delivering assistance to Gaza in a policy of collective punishment. This is a systemic campaign by the occupation force to deny the people of their right to return. This is a violation of the ICJ consultative opinion and the mandate provided by this General Assembly. The financial burden is another deficit, is another form of siege. We would like to ask you a question. As the occupation force prevents your international staff from entering the occupied Palestinian territory, How can local staff, the local staff arrangement that was proposed, how can it ensure that UNRWA continues to play its role in the West Bank and Gaza? Second, thank you for stressing that UNRWA is committed to its mandate despite unprecedented pressures. What do you need from us, specifically, us as member states, politically and financially, to prevent any measures that affect the basic services provided by UNRWA to Palestinian refugees. In conclusion, we would like to stress that Libya will continue to stand with UNRWA. No party can come after UNRWA as long as the issue of Palestinian refugees is unsolved and as long as Palestine remains occupied. Thank you.

Thank you. If no other delegation wishes to take the floor, I give the floor to Mr. Sanders to answer the question that was asked.

Thank you to the distinguished delegate from Libya for his question. You asked, given the fact that we are prevented from having our international staff enter the occupied Palestinian territories, both in the West Bank and in Gaza, including East Jerusalem, and also prevented from bringing in critical supplies as well into the West Bank and into Gaza. In Gaza, as you correctly pointed out, we have about 10,500 national staff, Palestinian staff, working every day. as they have worked every day throughout the war. They live alongside the Palestinian communities. They are displaced, like the Palestinian communities, living under tents, under tarpaulins, or in partially destroyed buildings. But still, they get up and go to work every day. We have very dedicated, very qualified, very professional Palestinian staff on the ground delivering services, as I said, health care, education, sanitation, engineering. We have most professions amongst our staff. And they continue, despite the hardship, despite the difficulties, to go to work and to support their communities every day. In terms of bringing supplies in, we do this with the help of partners, and we have partnerships with different organizations. Is it challenging? Yes, it's challenging. But it's even challenging, frankly, for those organizations that are authorized to bring in supplies, because many supplies are considered to be dual use items, and they are prevented from being brought in, including simple things like engine oil. And of course, you need engine oil for everything. You need engine oil. For the garbage trucks, you need engine oil. For the buses, you need engine oil. For the generators that provide electricity to the hospitals and health centers, you need engine oil for the water pumps and for the desalination pumps. You need engine oil for everything. And if you're prevented from bringing it in, it makes life very challenging. We have 4,500 staff or personnel in the West Bank doing the same. We have been doing this now for more than 77 years through many different conflicts, many different difficult situations, and we continue. The staff are committed, we are committed, and we will continue to fulfill our mandate as long as this assembly requires us to fulfill that mandate. What can you do? I think you can raise your voices and political support to move the peace process forward. We cannot go through another winter. You've seen the rains in Gaza. We cannot go through another winter and leave the people in this situation, this deplorable situation. We have to move forward with peace and with recovery and reconstruction. So you can lend your voices to push for that to move forward. What can you do to help us? We need money. We need money in order to pay our staff to continue to provide the services. UNRWA has been in financial difficulties for a while now. It's not new. It's exacerbated by the global funding situation that started at the beginning of 2025 with huge reductions in overseas development assistance. So it's becoming increasingly more challenging. We have pared down our non-salaries costs to the bone. There is nowhere that we can cut further. So, over 90% of our program budget is for salaries. So, any deficit, any cash flow problems, the only place really to go is salaries, and that means we have to reduce staffing. So, money, yes, is important, but also your political support and your voices to move the peace process forward. Thank you.

I once again thank Mr. Sanders for his statement and for his answer to the question. I will now give the floor to the representative of Norway, Mr. Anders Vetter. in his capacity as rapporteur of the Working Group on the Financing of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, to introduce the report of the Working Group.

Since 1970, the Working Group on the Financing of UNRWA, chaired by Türkiye, has assisted the Secretary-General and the Commissioner-General in providing recommendations to address its financial challenges. Norway has the honor to introduce this year's report of the working group A/81/331, which was adopted on August 13th, except for one member that had ceased its participation in the group on July 7th, 2025. The working group's meetings took place amidst unprecedented financial and operational challenges for the agency, which entered 2026 with a significant funding shortfall. Despite far-reaching cost-cutting measures, the cash flow deficit currently stands at 70 to 80 million US dollars, with extremely limited income projections for early 2027. The group expressed deep concern about the agency's chronic underfunding and its potentially destabilizing impact on the wider region. It stressed the need for sustained political and financial support to sustain UNRWA's operations in all its five theaters of operations, including notably in Gaza, where the situation is still extremely dire. The group also stressed the need to shield the agency's operations from politicization, restrictions, and obstructions, including notably those arising from Israeli laws enacted in January 2025. These measures have forced UNRWA’s international staff out of the OPT and severely obstructed the Agency’s delivery of aid and essential services in violation of its GA mandate and international law, as affirmed by the ICJ. The Working Group renewed its call upon Israel to reverse those measures. The Working Group commends the Commissioner-General ad interim, his predecessor, and all UNRWA staff for their tireless and indispensable efforts to maintain the Agency's services under exceptionally difficult circumstances. The Group also wishes to offer its sincere condolences to the 395 UNRWA workers killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023. The working group also welcomed the agency's continued reforms and called for maintaining those efforts, including by continued implementation of the Colonna recommendations. The group would like to bring to the attention of the Fourth Committee the following eight recommendations. The working group A, urges all governments to sustain and, where possible, increase their voluntary contributions to UNRWA. via the agency's three funding portals, prioritizing the full funding of the program and budget. It is also highly encouraged that government contributions be swiftly and flexibly dispersed and keep pace with the requirements of the agency, while taking into account inflation, operational, and other factors driving the cost of service delivery. Contributions should also reflect appropriate international burden sharing. B. Urges governments to provide unmarked multi-year funding to make, when possible, sustained, unpredictable contributions to UNRWA in line with the recommendations made at the World Humanitarian Summit of 2016 and the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants of 2016, and to disperse their contributions early in the year when feasible. C. Commends UNRWA for the measures that it has taken to increase its efficiency while maintaining the quality of services to Palestine refugees, and for the measures that it has taken to increase its transparency through its reporting to the International Aid Transparency Initiative, and encourages the continued implementation of those measures and related efforts by UNRWA. Commends UNRWA for the swift and transparent measures it has taken to further strengthen its approach to neutrality, based on the significant number of well-established and developed mechanisms, including through the agency's ongoing and swift implementation of the recommendations emanating from the Colonna report, and encourages Member States' continued support to that work, recognizing that several of the recommendations require additional financial and human resources. Commends UNRWA for its ongoing measures to mobilize resources and to diversify its funding, and encourages member states to support those efforts. F, deplores the Israeli legislation and measures against the agency and the severe implications, including the forced departure of the agency's international staff on UNRWA's operations in the OPT. It further commends the agency's senior local area staff for its assumption of increased workloads and responsibilities. The working group supports, against this background, the agency's efforts toward formalizing on an exceptional, temporary, and context-specific basis. and without prejudice to the continued use of the area staff modality for the local workforce and subject to reconsideration should the context related to restrictions on the presence of UNRWA's international staff in the OPT change, an arrangement that would allow for the establishment of a small number of national professional officer functions to carry out specific senior management functions that under normal conditions would be performed by UNRWA's international staff, subject to the consideration of the General Assembly and review of associated budgetary implications by the ACABQ and the Fifth Committee. This arrangement would be with a view to maintaining the critical functions currently performed by certain senior-level area staff in Gaza and the West Bank, recognizing that this would require a limited amendment to relevant GA resolutions, as appropriate, which the working group recommends to explore positively. G. Takes note of the recommendations contained in the report of the Secretary General A/71/849* and all resolutions related to the financing of UNRWA that are aimed at addressing recurring budget and cash flow deficits and sufficiently and predictably supporting the Agency's vital work in all areas of operation. H. Underlines, given the extremely critical financial situation of the Agency, the importance of securing durable solutions for the future of the Agency, including for its financial stability. The Working Group wishes to thank all Member States that have continued to support the Agency’s work and strongly appeals for both urgent contributions to close the current gap and for continued and predictable funding as a tangible contribution to the human development of Palestine refugees until there is a just and last solution to their plight. Mr. Chair, I thank you.

I thank you.

We shall now begin our general debate on agenda item 47. Delegations are reminded of the time limit of 10 minutes for national statements and 15 minutes when speaking on behalf of a group. For maximum utilization of our time, I appeal to all speakers to deliver shorter versions of their statement and to submit the full text to estatements@un.org for posting in the UN Journal. I now give the floor to Palestine.

Mr. President. Thank you, Mr. President. We were supposed to see Gaza flooded with aid. Instead, we saw Gaza flooded in sewage. We were supposed to see relief for a people who have endured unimaginable pain. Instead, we see continued suffering, premeditated, imposed suffering. As you watch the images of Gaza, remember what the people in them have gone through: Bereaved families who lost loved ones. Children who lost limbs, communities displaced repeatedly, people living among the remains of those killed and the ruins of their past lives. How much more cruelty can Israel impose before it is forced to stop? Why, a year after the conclusion of a ceasefire agreement, has fire not ceased? Why is rubble everywhere, and hope, wherever it starts to take root, allowed to be crushed again? Because that is the Israeli plan: destroy life in Gaza and never allow it to be restored. Israel pretends to acquiesce to the Trump plan, then buries it in bombardments and denied access. Because the goal is for Palestinians to leave Gaza or die in it. Because the goal is displacement, dispossession, and annexation. What President Trump's plan pledged cannot happen is exactly what Israel continues pursuing. The Security Council did not establish a board of peace for Gaza, for Israel to continue dictating its terms, or to allow vital items to simply be labeled dual use, to be denied entry, while those desperately needing them die waiting. You all stated what was needed to address the humanitarian catastrophe: states, the United Nations, the board of peace. The Israeli Prime Minister explained why none of it would happen. only a couple of days ago. So which decision will triumph? Collective punishment against two million Palestinians cannot be justified. Humanitarian aid and access were part of phase one of the ceasefire agreement. They cannot be conditional, otherwise Israel will always find an excuse to delay relief and prolong suffering. Mr. President, this is a debate on UNRWA, so why have I not mentioned it yet? Because what is happening to UNRWA is not about UNRWA. It is about the communities it was built to save and serve. The attack on UNRWA has always been an attack on Palestine refugees and the Palestinian people. Here is the evidence. Israel did not only destroy all the refugee camps in Gaza, it is destroying them in the West Bank. The refugee camp of Jenin, Nur Shams, and Tul Karim. Israel has found a solution to the Palestine refugee problem. Destroy the camps, displace the refugees, destroy UNRWA. Problem resolved. Israel did not only attack UNRWA and kill, maim, and arrest its staff. It targeted all others trying to preserve life in Gaza. Doctors were targeted, detained, and killed, some under torture, after rape. Palestine Red Crescent personnel were killed while saving lives and buried under the sand. World Central Kitchen workers were killed despite their operations having been authorized by Israel. Never before have UN and humanitarian personnel been targeted so systematically and on this scale. Yet no one has been held accountable, while Israel demands accountability from UNRWA. Israel claims the right to kill anyone it considers a threat without explanation or evidence. obliterating entire neighborhoods in the process, and killing civilians. It says the problem is not its behavior or its crimes. The problem is the victims, the UN, UNRWA, civil society, judges, and every state that dares criticize it. But this intimidation is backfiring, including in this country. People have had enough of this criminality, brutality, and bullying. Israel has no one to blame but itself for how it is perceived. These perceptions are not the result of social media campaigns. They are the result of footage of its crimes, of the reality of genocide, of occupying forces and settlers terrorizing Palestinian communities. Mr. President, nothing Israel has done over decades could justify killing and harming Israeli civilians on October 7. And nothing Hamas did on October 7 can justify killing and harming Palestinian civilians, and continuing to do so to this day. No government can claim that achieving security requires annihilating a nation and annexing its land. No government can claim that its people's right to safety supersedes another people's right to life and self-determination. That is not how security is achieved. That is how violence is perpetuated. Mr. President, UNRWA was established as a temporary agency until Palestine refugees' plight was justly resolved in accordance with Resolution 194. Its continued existence nearly 80 years later testifies to the international community's failure to resolve their plight. Israel argues that the right of return cannot pass from one generation to another, yet it sees no contradiction in claiming under the Israeli Return Law that the bond between people and land survived 3,000 years of history. But if you are Palestinian, it cannot be passed from one generation to another. Why such a contradiction? Because Israel does not deal with us as human beings endowed with rights, but as a demographic threat to be addressed. This is a supremacist approach we cannot be asked to condone. Israel's plan was simple: deny the first generation of refugees the right of return, wait until they die, and declare their descendants' connection to the land extinguished. And then blame UNRWA for keeping the refugee question alive. While refugees drown in sewage in Gaza and see their homes collapsing over their heads, while their homes are being demolished in the West Bank, Israel seeks to destroy UNRWA and intimidate its donors. Mr. President, wrongdoing in UNRWA, as in any UN agency, must be addressed. The UN has taken measures when there were substantiated allegations. And the Colonna report stresses that UNRWA possesses a more developed approach to neutrality than other similar UN or NGO entities. And the ICJ's provisional orders under the Genocide Convention and its 2025 advisory opinion stressed Israel's obligation to allow, including in cooperation with UNRWA, the unhindered provision at scale of food, water, electricity, fuel, shelter, clothing, hygiene, sanitation requirements, medical supplies, everything Gaza is missing today. And we still await Israel's compliance. The exceptional courage and dedication of thousands of UNRWA staff is well documented. This campaign began long before allegations against individual staff. It targets the people UNRWA serves, even though the refugee status is grounded in international law, not in the agency's existence. Mr. President, UNRWA was built from within the communities it serves. Its staff endure the same hardships, yet continue serving. It is not a bureaucracy removed from suffering. It was born and continues to live in its midst. Any decision regarding its operations and staff must duly take into account this reality. The General Assembly retains the final word regarding the Agency’s mandate and its implementation. We thank host countries and donors and call for continued political and financial support. UNRWA's expertise and experience are irreplaceable. Its role is more needed than ever. In conclusion, Mr. President, Gaza was promised to be flooded with aid. Instead, it is flooded in sewage. People are dying. They are still being bombarded in their tents. The shreds of life they assembled have been swept away again. Aid remains blocked only meters from those who desperately need it. A Palestinian from Gaza wrote, "When will we recognize that a death sentence has been issued for each one of us? We just do not know when and how it will be executed. Israel cannot hold the power of life and death over our people, especially after showing how much death under so many forms it was ready to inflict on them. Those who stand with UNRWA, with the UN, and with those who save lives do not need to justify themselves. Those who destroy lives do, and it is time they were held accountable." And I thank you, Mr. President.

I thank you. I give the floor to Jordan.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the Arab host countries of Palestinian refugees, namely Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, and my own country, Jordan. Our countries also support the statement to be delivered by the esteemed Arab Group. We express our appreciation for the tremendous efforts that the Agency's staff continue to make in carrying out their humanitarian responsibilities under extremely difficult and complex circumstances. Our countries affirm that the continued work of UNRWA constitutes a collective international responsibility and the United Nations' commitment from which no party may withdraw, and whose burdens may not be transferred to host countries. These countries, for more than seven decades, have shouldered significant responsibilities towards Palestinian refugees while they continue to be deprived of their legitimate rights, foremost among which were the rights of return, compensation, and self-determination. Our countries stress that UNRWA represents a fundamental pillar of the international response system addressing the needs of Palestinian refugees. The educational, health, relief, and social services provided through the five fields of operations cannot be separated from the historical responsibility borne by the United Nations towards their cause. In this regard, our countries welcome the General Assembly's decision to renew the agency's mandate until mid-2029. This reflects the international community's commitment to preserving the agency's indispensable role. The Agency's role cannot be replaced or dispensed with. Mr. Chair, regarding discussions concerning the future of UNRWA and proposals relating to the reorganization of its work in response to the current financial, political, and operational challenges, our countries reiterate their firm position regarding the findings of the strategic assessment prepared by Mr. Ian Martin last year. It reaffirmed our rejection of any recommendations or options that would assign the Agency's functions or obligations to host governments. We also rejected any proposals that would alter the nature of the Agency's responsibilities and its mandate as established by the General Assembly in its resolution 302 of 1949. Our group previously communicated this position formally to the UN Secretary-General in a letter dated 8 October 2025. We further emphasize that addressing the challenges facing UNRWA should begin with ensuring its ability to implement its mandate and strengthening its efficiency and financial sustainability, rather than reducing its responsibilities, diminishing support for it, or redistributing its functions to other parties. Any effort to reform the agency or improve its methods of work must respect the legal framework governing its mandate. This must be also undertaken in close consultation with host countries, without prejudice to the rights of Palestinian refugees or the international obligations owed to them. From this perspective, I would like to highlight a number of fundamental positions held by the host countries. Firstly, we reaffirm the importance of preserving UNRWA's mandate, independence, and the continuity of its services. Secondly, we reject any efforts aimed at transferring the agency's responsibilities or any part of its financial and operational burdens onto host countries or replacing its role with alternative institutional arrangements. Such measures would undermine the nature of the international commitment towards Palestinian refugees. This would also violate the United Nations mandate that enjoys broad international consensus. This would erode confidence in the United Nations and its institutions. Thirdly, we call upon the international community and donor countries to translate the broad political support enjoyed by the agency into sustainable and predictable financial commitments that will enable the agency to meet the needs of Palestinian refugees. We also stress the importance of broadening the donor base and increasing the funding allocated to UNRWA from the United Nations regular budget. Fourthly, we reaffirm that the General Assembly remains the competent authority to consider any decisions related to UNRWA's mandate or decisions that could affect the agency's ability to carry out the requirements of that mandate. Mr. Chair. Our group condemns the continued Israeli measures and practices targeting UNRWA and undermining its ability to carry out its mandate throughout the occupied Palestinian territory. This includes attacks and violations affecting the agency's facilities, personnel, and the privileges and immunities of the United Nations. We commend the advisory opinion of the ICJ issued in October 2025, which emphasized the need for Israel, as the occupying power, to comply with its obligations and ensure the inviolability of the United Nations premises and agencies, foremost among them UNRWA. It also affirmed the importance of respecting the immunity of agency personnel and guarantee the unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance. We also renew our condemnation of unilateral and unlawful Israeli measures and legislation targeting the Agency and its presence in the occupied Palestinian territory in blatant violation of international law. Furthermore, we reaffirm the findings and professionalism of the Independent Review Group’s investigation, which unequivocally demonstrated the agency's neutrality and exposed the falsity of malicious allegations against it, a conclusion also affirmed by the ICJ. In conclusion, Mr. Chair, the Arab host countries of Palestinian refugees reaffirm their commitment to continuing cooperation and coordination with UNRWA. We will continue to support efforts aimed at strengthening its capacity to carry out its humanitarian and service-related functions. We call upon the United Nations and member states to safeguard the agency's mandate, resist any attempts to undermine it or transfer its responsibilities to host countries, and secure the political and financial support necessary for its continued efforts. UNRWA's mandate will continue until a just, comprehensive, and lasting solution to the Palestinian question is achieved on the basis of the two-state solution and in a manner that preserves the rights of Palestinians to return and compensation in accordance with relevant UN resolutions, foremost among them GA Resolution 194. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I now give the floor to Saudi Arabia on behalf of the group of Arab States.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful, Mr. Chair, I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the Arab Group. We reaffirm our full support for the work of the Committee and our commitment to continuing collective effort aimed at achieving a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace in the Middle East. The latter is based on ending the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian and other Arab territories occupied since 1967. This would realize the independent and sovereign Palestinian state on the basis of the 4th of June 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. The Arab Group condemns the Israeli measures targeting UNRWA and seeking to terminate its operations in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, foremost among them, the legislation adopted by the Israeli Knesset, the restrictions imposed on the Agency’s operations and personnel, attacks against its facilities and premises, and attempts to undermine the privileges and immunities accorded to it under international law. The group also rejects the campaigns of incitement, disinformation, and misinformation aimed at undermining the Agency's credibility and eroding confidence in its work. The group warns that these practices not only threaten the continuity of essential services provided to Palestinian refugees, but also infringe upon the legitimate rights of Palestinian refugees. It undermines one of the fundamental pillars of the international community's responsibility towards their cause, thereby diminishing the prospects for achieving a just and lasting peace in accordance with relevant UN resolutions. Mr. Chair, the group stresses the need to ensure adequate and sustainable financial resources for the Agency. enabling it to implement its programs and fulfill its responsibilities towards Palestinian refugees without interruption. It calls upon Member States to enhance their financial contributions and to adopt predictable, multi-year funding mechanisms that would ensure the stability of the Agency's operations and its capacity to respond to growing needs across its five fields of operation. The Group also expresses its appreciation to the countries that continue to provide political and financial support to UNRWA. It urges the international community to broaden the donor base and share responsibilities in a more regular manner. The Arab Group reiterates its rejection of any proposals or arrangements aimed at terminating the work of UNRWA, reducing the scope of its mandate, or transferring its responsibilities to host countries or any other entities. It affirms that responsibility for the question of Palestine refugees remains an enduring international responsibility from which there can be no disengagement. The General Assembly remains the competent authority to consider any decisions relating to the mandate of UNRWA or affecting the Agency's ability to discharge that mandate. The group further stresses that the continuation of the Agency's mandate is directly linked to the achievement of a just and lasting solution to the question of Palestinian refugees, in accordance with relevant UN resolutions, foremost among them GA Resolution 194. The Arab Group welcomes the adoption by the Security Council of resolution 2803 in 2025. The latter constitutes an important step towards the implementation of this ceasefire and support the comprehensive peace plan. This will ensure that the Palestinian people would realize their right to self-determination and the independence of the state. In this context, the group emphasizes that the implementation of this resolution and the launch of comprehensive reconstruction effort must be accompanied by full and unconditional support of the UNRWA. UNRWA is the primary pillar and vital lifeline of the humanitarian response and to ensure the unhindered delivery of relief assistance and essential services to the Palestinian people. The Arab Group also welcomes the measures taken by UNRWA and the progress achieved in implementing the recommendations of the Independent Review Group chaired by Mrs. Colonna. It also underscores the importance of the advisory opinion of the ICJ, which reaffirmed the essential role of the agency and the necessity of enabling it to carry out its functions in accordance with international law. The group reaffirms the continued commitment of Arab states to mobilizing political and financial support for the agency at all levels. Mr. Chair, the Arab group affirms that protecting UNRWA and safeguarding its mandate is not merely a matter of ensuring the continuity of humanitarian assistance. Instead, it constitutes a defense of the right of millions of Palestinian refugees and of the UN historical responsibility towards their cause. The group further stresses that support for the agency represents an essential contribution to promoting regional security and stability, without being a substitute for efforts aimed at achieving a just, comprehensive, and lasting solution to the Palestinian question. one that guarantees the legitimate and inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. In conclusion, the Arab Group renews its appreciation to UNRWA and all its staff for their courage and dedication in serving Palestinian refugees. We call upon the international community to stand by them and ensure continued support so that they may continue to carry out their noble mission. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I thank you, and I give the floor to Bahrain on behalf of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful. Mr. Chair, Excellencies, peace and blessings of God be upon you. It is my honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council: the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Sultanate of Oman, the State of Qatar, the State of Kuwait, and my country, the Kingdom of Bahrain. At the outset, the GCC states express its appreciation for the vital humanitarian role undertaken by the UNRWA in providing essential services to millions of Palestinian refugees, despite the serious challenges it faces. The Supreme Council of the GCC, at its 46th session held in the Kingdom of Bahrain in December of 2025, underscored the importance of the international support for UNRWA and its principal role in advancing relief, humanitarian, and development effort. It further stressed the need for the Agency to continue carrying out its mandate in a manner that ensures the provision of essential requirements for the brotherly Palestinian people, alleviates the effects of the humanitarian crisis in the OPT, and sustains effective support for Palestinian refugees. Mr. Chair, the GCC states wish to emphasize three key points today. First, the GCC states expressed the profound concern over the continued humanitarian suffering in Gaza. We stressed the need to ensure the immediate, safe, and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance and early recovery supplies, as well as to facilitate the rehabilitation of vital infrastructure. We also reaffirmed the need to ensure full compliance with the ceasefire and the cessation of all violations. We further condemn the continued expansion of settlements, particularly the E1 project, the confiscation of land, the demolition of Palestinian homes, settler violence and terror, the ongoing incursions into the courtyards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the forced displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. We stress the need to protect civilians and humanitarian personnel and to ensure the safety and security of UNRWA staff and facilities in line with international law. Second, the GCC states reaffirm their continued commitment to supporting the Palestinian people through their financial and humanitarian contributions, including those provided to UNRWA. We call upon the international community to ensure adequate, sustainable, and predictable funding that guarantees the continuity of the Agency’s educational, health care, and relief services. Third, the GCC states welcome the renewal of the onward mandate pursuant to GA Resolution 80/78 until 2029. We reaffirm the importance of respecting its mandate, legal status, privileges and immunities, as well as ensuring the continued humanitarian role of the UN in accordance with its UN mandate, international law, and the advisory opinion of the ICJ issued in October 2025. We also underscore the importance of the full implementation of the comprehensive plan proposed by US President Donald Trump to end the conflict in Gaza, as endorsed by Security Council Resolution 2803. 3, while supporting efforts related to recovery and reconstruction. In conclusion, the GCC states reaffirm their firm and unwavering support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, foremost among them, the right to self-determination and an independent and sovereign statehood on the basis of 4 June 1967. with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with a two-state solution, the Arab Peace Initiative, and relevant resolutions of international legitimacy. We further affirm that continued support for UNRWA constitutes a humanitarian, legal, and moral obligation, as well as a fundamental pillar for achieving a just and lasting peace in the region. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I

thank you, and I give the floor to Luxembourg on behalf of the Core Group of Shared Commitments on UNRWA.

Thank you, Chair.

I am to deliver this statement on behalf of members of the Core Group of Shared Commitments on UNRWA, namely Algeria, Belgium, Brazil, Guyana, Indonesia, Ireland, Jordan, Kuwait, Norway, Portugal, Qatar, Spain, South Africa, State of Palestine, Türkiye, and my own country, Luxembourg. We reaffirm our full support to the shared commitments which gathered the support of more than 120 signatories. For decades, we have been deploring the tragedy endured by millions of Palestine refugees, whose plight has always been a test of the international community's commitment to its principles and responsibilities. And at a time of growing humanitarian needs and regional instability, we are here to collectively reaffirm our unwavering support to the very agency that was created by the United Nations, by us, the member states of the UN, to support these refugees. For nearly eight decades, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East has provided essential assistance and protection for Palestine refugees across its five fields of operation. In Gaza, UNRWA remains a lifeline, delivering emergency humanitarian aid, providing shelter, and ensuring access to essential health care and education services. It should be a vital support for any viable political plan and stabilization in the post-ceasefire period. In the West Bank, where displacement, violence, and restrictions continue to compound an already dire situation, UNRWA remains vital for refugee communities and as a support to the Palestinian Government. And in its other areas of operation, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria, UNRWA remains an indispensable partner to host authorities for a wide range of social services. No other organization has the same reach, community trust, and operational capacity to provide essential services and humanitarian assistance to millions of Palestine refugees across the region. Yet, the agency continues to face unprecedented attacks by Israel and a campaign aimed at restricting, discrediting, and marginalizing its work at a time when its services are needed more than ever. Israeli legislation negatively impacting UNRWA remains in place despite clear and repeated calls by the UN membership for the reversal of such decisions. As member states, we cannot accept that a United Nations agency created by and a subsidiary organ of the Assembly, is blocked from fulfilling its mandate. We strongly condemn the continued unilateral attacks against the Agency, its personnel, its premises, and its operations, in clear violation of international law, such as the seizure and demolition of UNRWA's East Jerusalem headquarters, water and electricity cuts to facilities, and the forced seizure of the Qalandiya Training Center. We reiterate our demand to Israel to reverse this legislation and refrain from such actions, which constitute grave breaches of international law, including the Charter of the United Nations and the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations, and to respect the 2025 International Court of Justice advisory opinion. Mr. Chair, no humanitarian response can be a substitute to a political solution. Continued efforts towards the two-state solution remain indispensable, including addressing the rights and future of Palestine refugees. We therefore welcome and support all international efforts towards a just and lasting peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine in accordance with relevant UN resolutions. The New York Declaration, which has been endorsed by the General Assembly in September 2025, underlines UNRWA's indispensable role, while also reaffirming that UNRWA shall hand over its public-like services in the occupied Palestinian territory to empowered and prepared Palestinian institutions upon the achievement of a just solution to the Palestine refugee issue to be agreed upon in accordance with General Assembly resolution 194. The advisory opinion given by the ICJ in October 2025 on the obligations of Israel in relation to the presence and activities of the United Nations, other international organizations, and third states in and in relation to the occupied Palestinian territory clearly reaffirms the obligation of Israel as the occupying power to allow UNRWA to operate in accordance with international humanitarian law and the UN Charter. The ICJ also reaffirmed that UNRWA remains the backbone of all humanitarian response in the Gaza Strip. We welcome the leadership by Secretary-General Guterres, including by mandating an independent review, which provided the Colonna report, and a strategic assessment of UNRWA, which reaffirms UNRWA's unique, indispensable, and outstanding role. We are encouraged by the ongoing process of implementation of the Colonna report recommendations and regular information provided by the Agency in this regard. In two years, the Agency has implemented 42 out of 50 recommendations, marking an overall progress of 84%. We commend UNRWA for maintaining a strong focus on consolidating gains, embedding reforms within institutional culture, operational practices, and regulatory frameworks, and managing implementation risks proactively. Mr. Chair, in addition to the unprecedented attacks by Israel, the Agency’s financial challenges also remain acute. We urge Member States to increase their financial support to UNRWA to ensure the continuity of its operations to deliver humanitarian and development assistance to millions of Palestinian refugees in its five fields of operation. We underscore the urgent need for predictable, adequate, and sustainable funding, which must be matched with strong political backing that protects UNRWA’s operational space and staff. Because at a time when humanitarian needs continue to grow, supporting UNRWA is not only a humanitarian imperative, it is an investment in regional stability, human dignity, and the prospects for a just and lasting peace. We support efforts to strengthen the agency's effectiveness, financial sustainability, and ability to deliver on its mandate. At the same time, meaningful reform requires adequate time, careful planning, and broad consultation. Any reform process should be consulted with all relevant stakeholders, particularly host countries, whose cooperation and support are essential and who have a direct stake in any significant organizational changes. Such efforts should continue to be guided by the mandate entrusted to the Agency by the General Assembly as the body representing the ultimate authority overseeing the work of the Agency. In the context of ongoing financial constraints, We encourage UNRWA to pursue cost-efficiency measures with due consideration for its workforce already enduring tremendous hardship, operational capacity, and the affected communities which are often confronted with unprecedented levels of suffering. Personnel-related measures should be approached with utmost caution, ensuring that they remain a last resort and that the Agency’s ability to deliver critical services is preserved. Every effort should be made to explore alternative solutions and mitigation measures. Mr. Chair, we remain deeply concerned about attempts to sideline UNRWA from Gaza's reconstruction process. UNRWA has the necessary expertise, capacity, and workforce for the immediate scaling up of humanitarian aid into and inside Gaza, as well as for addressing the increasingly dire humanitarian conditions of Palestine refugees in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in the face of the Israeli occupation's escalating violations and settler attacks. It has also the necessary expertise, capacity, and workforce for restoring basic public services during the period of rehabilitation, recovery, and reconstruction in Gaza. It is an agency that enjoys public trust. From health care, education, and training, to humanitarian relief in times of emergency and crisis, UNRWA is part and parcel of the communities it serves and the broader societies within which they exist. Its personnel, databases and premises provide a solid foundation for capacity building of Palestinian state institutions. In closing, we would like to pay tribute to the 395 UNRWA staff members who have lost their lives in the line of duty, the largest toll of fatalities of aid workers in the 80-year history of the United Nations. and to those who continue to work tirelessly every day under extremely difficult and often dangerous conditions to provide education, health care, protection, and humanitarian assistance to Palestinian refugees. Until a just solution to the plight of Palestinian refugees is implemented, UNRWA therefore is and will remain indispensable and irreplaceable, representing a lifeline for almost 6 million people in DOPT, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. For us Member States, this is a moment that calls for greater international solidarity, not diminished commitment; for the protection and strengthening of humanitarian action, not its obstruction; and for the reaffirmation of our collective responsibilities, not their retreat. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the European Union on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

On behalf of the European Union and its Member States, I would like to reaffirm a steadfast support for UNRWA and for the Agency's mandate, pending a just and lasting solution to the question of Palestine refugees in line with international law and relevant UN resolutions. Palestine refugees continue to rely on UNRWA for essential services, including education, health care, social protection, and emergency assistance, which are vital to the preservation of human dignity. UNRWA is not only a humanitarian actor. Through the provision of essential daily services, including healthcare, education, psychosocial support, and waste management, it helps preserve human development, social cohesion, and institutional resilience. These functions are indispensable for early recovery, stabilization, enhancing Palestine refugees' self-reliance, and ultimately, the implementation of the two-state solution. The European Union remains gravely concerned about the deteriorating situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, including the persistent and devastating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which was worsened during the current winter season. We call on Israel to enable the UN and its agencies, including UNRWA, and humanitarian organizations to work independently and impartially to save lives and reduce suffering. and comply with all its obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law. We urge Israel to allow immediate, unimpeded access and sustained distribution of humanitarian assistance at scale into and throughout Gaza. The far-reaching consequences of the Israeli legislation adopted in October 2024 for UNRWA's capacity to operate in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and in Gaza remain a matter of grave concern for the European Union. We reiterate our call for UNRWA to be able to operate safely, effectively, and without obstruction, in full respect of the privileges and immunities of the United Nations and in accordance with international law. We also call for the lifting of restrictions that impede the agency's humanitarian and operational work. The decision by the Israeli authorities to enter and demolish UNRWA's headquarters in East Jerusalem and build military infrastructure in its place constitutes a serious attack against a UN agency and a violation of Israel's obligations under the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations. Under this convention, UN member states must protect and respect the inviolability of UN premises. Colleagues, the Agency today faces acute financial pressures. We continue to call for broader, more predictable, and sustainable international support, alongside meaningful reforms to increase the efficiency of service delivery and the long-term viability of operations. In addition to the all-important verbal support, we encourage existing and new donors alike to contribute to UNRWA's financial sustainability, enabling it to continue fulfilling its mandate. The European Union itself remains a strong partner of UNRWA. Through its multi-annual comprehensive program for Palestinian recovery and resilience for 2025 to 2027, the European Commission provides 82 million annually to the agency. supporting the uninterrupted delivery of essential services to Palestine refugees. In addition, the European Commission has provided an allocation of 30.6 million in humanitarian funding to UNRWA in 2026 alone, covering Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan. Chair, The European Union remains committed to supporting UNRWA and to closely monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the Independent Colonna Report. We welcome the significant progress achieved in implementing its recommendations and commend the substantial reforms undertaken to strengthen neutrality, integrity, oversight, and accountability. We recall that a specific working group on neutrality and integrity has been created in the framework of UNRWA's Advisory Commission, of which the European Union is a member. Its purpose is to further advise and support UNRWA in the implementation of the Calloni report recommendations, as well as review and propose initiatives aimed at strengthening neutrality and integrity mechanisms. Dear colleagues, the EU expresses its concern about the lack of progress in the implementation of the ceasefire and all other provisions of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803. We stand ready to contribute to implementation of the peace plan in accordance with international law, including through EUBAM Rafah and EU POL COPPS, and to support early recovery and reconstruction in Gaza in close consultation with the Palestinian Authority, the United Nations, and international partners, including through concrete projects under the European Union's Team Gaza initiative and the UN Horizon Fund. The European Union reaffirms its commitment to international law and a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace based on the two-state solution, in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions, where two democratic states Israel and Palestine live side by side in peace and security, within secure and recognized borders. The New York Declaration provides a political framework to guide these efforts. The European Union will continue to support the Agency's essential work for Palestinian refugees and to cooperate with all partners committed to achieving these objectives. Thank you.

Thank you, and I give the floor to Israel.

Mr. Chair, distinguished delegates, in the statements this morning, we haven't heard one word: Hamas. On October 7th, UNRWA employees were directly implicated in the massacre and kidnapping of innocent Israelis. Among them were social worker Faisal Ali Musalem al-Naimi, filmed transporting the body of 21-year-old Jonathan Semerano in Kibbutz Beeri; school principal Hafez Musa, who alerted Hamas operatives to assemble at the border; Councillor Muso Subhi Musa al-Kidra, who assisted his son in kidnapping an Israeli; and teachers, Youssef Zidan El Khawajri and Mamdouh Hussein El-Kak, identified as participants in the massacre. These are only a few examples among many more. These were not isolated failures. They were the culmination of decades of radicalization, institutional corruption, and Hamas infiltration enabled by inadequate oversight in international protection. So I ask: How does murdering and kidnapping civilians fit the job description of a UN employee? How can an agency whose employees participated in the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust continue receiving this Assembly’s funding and confidence? Following Israel legislation terminating the provisional agreement with UNRWA and ordering it to cease operations and vacate its Jerusalem premises, we heard the familiar declaration: UNRWA is indispensable, irreplaceable, and a crucial lifeline. Some donors that suspended funding after October 7 soon found excuses to restore hundreds of millions of dollars. The Colonna report was cited despite continuing concerns over employee screening, staff union affiliations, and incitement in UNRWA schools documented by UN Watch. Administrative reforms cannot substitute for meaningful accountability and verifiable results. Apparently, discovering terrorists on an agency's payroll is merely a public relations problem. Chair, UNRWA is not the firefighter of the Middle East. It is the arsonist, while the international community keeps paying for the matches. Consider the history. On May 15, 1948, one day after Israel declared its independence, five Arab armies invaded the newly established Jewish state in an attempt to destroy it. The ensuing war resulted in the displacement of approximately 700,000 Arabs. Established in 1949, UNRWA was intended as a temporary agency to provide relief and rehabilitation. Other refugee crises were resolved differently. Following the Korean War, a temporary UN agency helped resettle 3.1 million refugees within four years and closed once its mission was accomplished. UNHCR later helped resettle one million Bosnians. Today, zero remain on the UN's refugee rolls. That is successful refugee policy: rehabilitation, resettlement, and an end to dependency. Why was the Palestinian case different? From the outset, Arab leaders rejected rehabilitation and resettlement, branding them treason. When Washington and London considered closing UNRWA, Arab ambassadors reportedly warned, "You made one mistake allowing a Jewish state to arise. Do not make a second mistake by closing UNRWA." The objective was clear: preserve the refugee issue as a permanent weapon against Israel. If rehabilitation and resettlement are the universal markers of a conflict's resolution, Then, the deliberate perpetuation of refugee status became the guarantee that the Arab-Israeli conflict would never end. By 1960, UNRWA had abandoned meaningful rehabilitation as its central objective and institutionalized inherited refugee status. Even descendants of refugees who acquired foreign citizenship and built new lives could remain registered as Palestinian refugees. This is not a system designed to resolve displacement. It is designed to preserve it. Hundreds of thousands became millions, each carrying an UNRWA registration card transformed into a political instrument supporting a demand to return to sovereign Israeli territory. But the damage extends far beyond refugee registration. Under the UN flag, UNRWA camps became breeding grounds for terrorism. Fatah recruited children, some as young as five, for military training. Several terrorists involved in murdering 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics had attended UNRWA schools or grown up in its camps. Chair, today, UNRWA's institutional failures are even more profound. The agency employs approximately 30,000 people, 99% of them local Palestinians. For years, it failed to implement adequate screening against terrorist affiliations. As the former Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini acknowledged, "Our employees are part of Gaza's social fabric, and as part of that fabric, you also have Hamas." In UNRWA school, during the Second Intifada, posters of suicide bombers appeared on school walls. Educational materials subsequently continued to glorify violence, demonize Israel, and undermine coexistence. Children were taught to idolize figures such as Dalal Mughrabi, who participated in the 1978 Coastal Road massacre, murdering 38 Israeli civilians, including 13 children. Textbooks glorified armed struggle, while maps erased Israel and denied the Jewish people's historical connection to their homeland. When children are taught that compromise is betrayal and violence is heroism, hatred naturally becomes action. October 7th was not an isolated incident. It was the most horrific manifestation of this ideology. Hamas terrorists who murdered families in their homes and abducted elderly people and babies to deep tunnels in Gaza invoked the same promise UNRWA helped promote for decades, the so-called right of return and the eventual disappearance of the Jewish state. Nowhere is UNRWA's complicity more evident than in Gaza. For years, it administrated much of the civilian infrastructure while Hamas consolidated control, relieving Hamas of governance responsibilities and allowing it to direct resources towards weapons, tunnels, and terrorism. UNRWA facilities were exploited for military purposes, employees were implicated in terrorism, and international funding sustained a system Hamas exploited. And yet, we are told UNRWA is irreplaceable. It is not. Food, medicine, education, and humanitarian assistance can be delivered by other competent, accountable organizations without perpetrating refugee status or serving Hamas's interests. Israel stands ready to continue its cooperation with legitimate UN agencies and NGOs to ensure aid reaches those in need. Humanitarian assistance, however, must not remain hostage to UNRWA. Mr. Chair, the question is not whether Palestinian civilians deserve humanitarian assistance. Of course they do. The question is whether this Assembly will continue rewarding institutional failure, tolerating terrorist infiltration, and financing an organization that fuels conflict. UNRWA is not merely failing to resolve the Palestinian refugee problem; it is helping ensure that it never ends. The time has come to dismantle UNRWA. Let us send a clear message: The United Nations will not finance the destruction of a Member State, subsidize terrorism, or allow the refugee issue to remain a permanent weapon against the only Jewish state. UNRWA’s time is over. The time for accountability is now. Thank you.

I thank you, and I give the floor to Canada.

In Gaza, the situation remains catastrophic. One year after the ceasefire was announced, most of the population remains displaced and continues to experience food insecurity and lack of access to clean water, adequate shelter, and medical care. The onset of winter threatens to further exacerbate these conditions, as tragically demonstrated by recent heavy rains and flooding in Gaza, including a landslide that reportedly killed five displaced Palestinians sheltering in tents. In the West Bank and East Jerusalem, Israeli military operations, acceleration of settlement expansion, and extremist settler violence continue to drive humanitarian needs. and undermine prospects for peace, a just peace, which can only be built on a two-state solution. In this context, Canada reaffirms its strong support for UNRWA’s mandate and for the rights, well-being, and dignity of Palestinian refugees. The toll of this conflict on humanitarian personnel has been devastating. Too many, including UNRWA staff, have been killed while serving communities in desperate need. Canada reiterates its call for the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian assistance and the protection of civilians, including humanitarian workers. We continue to oppose measures that infringe on UNRWA’s privileges and immunities as a UN agency and curtail its work. Efforts to restrict or impede UNRWA’s operations are particularly alarming at a time when the agency’s role has never been more critical.

Mr. Chair, UNRWA also faces significant financial pressures faced with exceptional needs. Canada recognizes the importance of sustained international engagement and support to allow UNRWA to fulfill its mandate. Since 2023, Canada has contributed $167 million to UNRWA's core budget and to emergency appeals in Palestine, Lebanon, and in Syria. including to support the implementation of the recommendations from the Colonna report. Canada welcomes UNRWA’s commitment to implementing the report’s recommendations in order to guarantee the highest neutrality and integrity standards. We expect the Agency to continue to draw upon the progress made, and we will continue to work with the UN, UNRWA, and other donors to move these efforts forward and to promote their sustainable implementation. As the Agency is considering reforms aimed at ensuring its long-term viability, it is essential that those reforms be carried out carefully and responsibly. in the context of constructive consultations with the host countries and partners, while also ensuring that the protection of Palestinian refugees and the defense of their rights remain at the heart of UNRWA's reform agenda. Canada will continue to work with UNRWA, the host countries, and its partners to preserve the agency's ability to fulfill its mandate to support Palestinian refugees, to uphold humanitarian principles and to promote peace, stability, and dignity of all around the region. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to Angola.

Mr. Chair, distinguished delegates, the report before us highlights the continued efforts of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East to deliver essential service to Palestinian refugees across the region, including education, health care, social assistance, and protection. These efforts have been undertaken in an increasingly challenging operation environment characterized by severe access restriction, operational constraints, and persistent funding shortfalls, requiring the agency to adjust and prioritize its activities. Angola commends UNRWA for its indispensable contribution and pays tribute to the dedication, professionalism and resilience of its personnel, who continue to discharge their responsibilities under exceptionally difficult and often dangerous conditions. We particularly honour those humanitarian workers who have lost their lives in the line of duty while providing assistance to those in need. For more than seven decades, UNRWA has played an indispensable role in providing Palestinian refugees with essential services, including education, health care, food assistance, shelter, and social protection. Its contribution has been particularly critical in the Gaza Strip, where the devastating humanitarian situation has placed unprecedented demands on the Agency and other humanitarian actors. In this context, Angola recognized the importance of continued efforts to strengthen the agency's institutional capacity, operational effectiveness, and agility, including through appropriate reforms without compromising its mandates or the continuity of essential service it provides. Such efforts must be accompanied by adequate, sustainable, and predictable funding to enable UNRWA to fulfil its responsibility and respond effectively to growing humanitarian needs. Mr. Chair, Angola reiterates that the safety, security, and inviolability of United Nations personnel and the premacy must be respected and protected at all times. in accordance with international law, including international humanitarian law and the Charter of the United Nations. Attacks against humanitarian personnel and facilities, as well as restrictions that impede the delivery of humanitarian assistance, are deeply concerning and must not be allowed to undermine the Agency’s capacity to discharge its mandate. We further underscore that humanitarian assistance must be provided in accordance with established humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence. It must not be politicized, obstructed, or instrumentalized for political purposes. The challenges confronting ARRA cannot be addressed through financial contribution alone. They require sustained political commitment, full respect for the Agency mandates, and the provision of safe, secure, and unimpeded conditions for delivery of humanitarian assistance. Accordingly, Angola calls upon the international community particularly Member States and relevant stakeholders, to strengthening their financial and political support for UNRWA, including through timely, adequate, and predictable contribution in order to safeguard the continuity of its essential operations and ensure that the Palestinian refugees are not deprived from the service and protection on which they depend on. Mr. Chair, Angola maintains that the question of Palestinian refugees cannot be addressed in isolation from the broader question of Palestine. It requires a comprehensive, just, and lasting political settlement in accordance with relevant United Nations resolutions, international law, and the legitimate right of the Palestinian people to self-determination. We therefore underscore the responsibility of the United Nations particularly the Security Council, to ensure the implementation of its relevant resolution and to advance efforts towards peaceful resolution of the conflict. Angola reaffirms its unwavering support for the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination and its commitment to the two-state solution with the State of Palestine and the State of Israel living side by side with secure and internationally recognized borders in peace and security, in accordance with relevant United Nations resolutions. Mr. Chair, in conclusion, any weakening of UNRWA’s operational capacity would have far-reaching humanitarian consequences, social and regional implications further exacerbating the vulnerability of Palestinian refugees and undermining prospects for stability and lasting peace in the region. Angola, therefore, reaffirms its steadfast support for UNRWA and the mandate entrusted to it by the General Assembly to provide assistance, protection, and essential services to Palestinian refugees pending a just and lasting resolution of their plight. I thank you, Mr. Chair.

I thank you, and I give the floor to Tunisia.

Thank you for giving me the floor, Mr. Chair.

We thank Mr. Christian Sandres, Commissioner General ad interim of ONRUA, for presenting ONRUA's report. commend thousands of personnel that continue to work in very difficult circumstances. The plight of the Palestinian people is a humanitarian plight. It is exacerbated by forced displacement. It is exacerbated day by day because of the destruction of basic infrastructure, as well as the harsh climate recently. This proves how weak the humanitarian situation is and stresses the need to preserve their dignity. And this time, UNRWA has proven that it is the cornerstone of the humanitarian response, with more than 11,000 Palestinian local staff that provide health, education, and housing relief services. We recall what was said by the President of the General Assembly when he said that UNRWA remains the biggest agency in Gaza and cannot be replaced operationally, and this is something we fully agree with. Mr. Chair, UNRWA's mandate reflects an international responsibility that is legal and historic until a just solution is reached for the Palestinian refugees' question, ensuring their right to return. We recall the advisory opinion of the ICJ of October 2025, according to which the occupation power is compelled to approving humanitarian assistance provided by the UN, especially UNRWA. And any, Mr. Chair, no political mandate can be implemented without resources. UNRWA is lacking liquidity, requiring to decrease the resources it provides for its staff. This is something where – and UNRWA is an agency that thousands of refugees rely upon in Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria. We call for providing sufficient and sustainable and predictable funding for UNRWA, including by increasing the donor base and promoting contributions from the regular budget. We also reject any effort to derail the UNRWA. We call for protecting the staff and facilities of UNRWA and ensuring a safe, unhindered humanitarian access. In conclusion, we renew our principled, firm position in solidarity with the Palestinian people in their legitimate plight to implement their inalienable rights, especially the right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent state with East Jerusalem as a capital, as well as the right of refugees to return. We will continue to support all Thank you.

I thank you. I give the floor to Uruguay.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Uruguay expresses its recognition for the work carried out by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, UNRWA, in fulfillment of its mandate established by the General Assembly in 1949. Almost a year after the ceasefire in Gaza, which remains fragile, the humanitarian situation remains dire. More than 90% of the population is living in tents, precarious shelters, or partially destroyed housing, and winter is approaching. In this context, UNRWA remains a backbone of the humanitarian response, supporting basic education, health, and emergency relief services for almost 6 million Palestine refugees. refugees in the region. The agency provides assistance to refugees in Lebanon, Jordan and Syria in addition to Gaza and the West Bank, including access to education for tens of thousands of children. We are struck by the fact that nearly 400 – around 400 staff members of UNRWA have lost their lives since October 2023, and that the majority of the humanitarian infrastructure in the occupied Palestinian territory has been damaged or destroyed. We underscore the need to protect the personnel and facilities of the United Nations that is providing humanitarian services in full compliance with international humanitarian law. We recall that the International Court of Justice, in its advisory opinion of 22 October 2025, determined that Israel has an obligation to lift restrictions on UNRWA's operations and to accept and facilitate the humanitarian assistance that it provides. We urge it to comply fully. We, moreover, celebrate the fact that in December 2025, the General Assembly renewed the Agency's mandate for three years. In Gaza, UNRWA assists more than 1.7 million people with 10,500 staff members, supporting 11 health centres, providing education to 300,000 children, most of them in temporary learning facilities, and facilitates access to drinking water for around 820,000 people. Although more food is arriving in Gaza now than before the ceasefire, delays, limitations on border crossings, and restrictions that continue to be in effect continue to reduce the available volumes. Moreover, it is concerning that there are limits on the entry of medicines and medical equipment. Conditions of malnutrition and the arrival of the winter require integrated services that only UNRWA is in a position to provide. The financial crisis facing the agency and the reduction in contributions continue to jeopardize the viability of its operations and the continuity of its services, with a shortfall which could force it to cut staff and cut the scope of its programs. We therefore urgently make an appeal for allowing UNRWA to carry out its work both in Gaza and in the West Bank, including the unrestricted opening by Israel of corridors for humanitarian assistance in accordance with international law and the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice. Mr. Chair, UNRWA’s mandate and its custodianship of the identity of Palestine refugees is a necessity, and the priority is to achieve a comprehensive, just, and lasting solution within the framework of international law and the two-state solution, which would be coexisting peacefully and in security. Thank you very much.

Thank you. I give the floor to Vietnam.

Mr. Chair, Vietnam thanks the leadership of UNRWA for its briefing and pays tribute to the dedication and courage of the agency’s personnel. We honour those who have lost their lives while serving civilians and extend our deepest sympathy to their families. Mr. Chair, the ceasefire in Gaza has offered a vital opportunity to alleviate suffering and advance recovery. Yet, the humanitarian emergency remains severe. Families continue to face displacement, unsafe shelter, shortage of clean water, and essential services. Recent heavy rains and flooding have further exposed the vulnerability of people already living in makeshift shelters. We urge all parties to uphold the ceasefire. Exercise maximum restraint, respect international humanitarian law, and protect civilians, humanitarian workers, and civilian infrastructures. Humanitarian assistance must reach all those in need safely, promptly, and without obstructions. We urge that humanitarian assistance remain principled, needs-based, and free from political obstructions. The scale of the challenges is clear. Alongside emergency food and shelter, Palestinian children urgently need schooling, primary health care, and psychological support. These are not optional services. They are essential to preserving hope and laying the foundation for recovery. In these circumstances, UNRWA remains indispensable. Its schools, health centers, shelters, and local networks provide services that cannot simply be suspended or replaced. without severe consequences for millions of Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem and Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. Vietnam is seriously concerned about measures that undermine WUNRA's ability to operate. We call for full respect for the United Nations Charter, the privileges and immunities of the Organization, and the relevant obligations outlined by the International Court of Justice. in its advisory opinion of 20 October 2025. The safety of UNRWA personnel and facilities, as well as the movement of humanitarian supply staff, must be ensured. With UNRWA’s mandate renewed through June 2029, the immediate priority is to ensure that it can fulfil that mandate. We welcome the agency's effort to strengthen neutrality, transparency, and accountability, and encourage donors to provide adequate, predictable, and sustainable financial support. Mr. Chair, Security Council Resolution 2803 and subsequent efforts to implement the Gaza peace plan provide an opportunity to consolidate the ceasefire and create conditions for reconstruction. As a founding member of the Board of Peace, Vietnam stands ready to work constructively with international partners in support of lasting peace and the recovery of Gaza, in accordance with the International Charter and international law. These efforts should reinforce the essential humanitarian role of the international community in creating goodwill and ensure meaningful Palestinian participation in decisions about their future. At the same time, humanitarian assistance cannot substitute for a just and lasting political settlement. We reiterate our call to end actions that alter the status and demographic character of the occupied Palestinian territory, including settlement expansion, and to address the legitimate rights of Palestinian refugees, including issues of property and compensation. Vietnam remains steadfast in its support for the Palestinian people's right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent, sovereign, and viable state of Palestine based on the pre-1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital, living side by side with Israel in peace and security. Vietnam will continue to stand with the Palestinian people, support UNRWA, and contribute to international efforts towards a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace. I thank you, Mr. Chair.

I thank you. I give the floor to South Africa.

Thank you, Chairperson. At the outset, South Africa aligns itself with the statement delivered on behalf of the core group of unshared commitments on UNRWA. JEPES in South Africa expresses its deep appreciation to the Commissioner General ad interim, Mr. Saunders, for his comprehensive briefing. We commend him, as well as the former Commissioner General, Mr. Lazzerini, who worked under extremely challenging circumstances, yet remained committed to fulfilling the mandate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinians in the Near East. We also commend the dedication of the staff of UNRWA, who work continuously to provide lifesaving services for refugees in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan. UNRWA staff often risk their own lives, especially in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, to ensure that Palestinian refugees can continue to live their lives with dignity. despite the unrelenting efforts of the occupying power to disrupt service delivery and ultimately, the destruction of UNRWA. These impediments and disruptions imposed on UNRWA include the destruction of the UNRWA headquarters compound in Sheikh Jarrah, the provision of its operations in what the occupying power considers its sovereign territory, in contradiction of international law, the imposition of prohibitive taxes and restrictions on the movement of staff, as well as their harassment, ill-treatment, and arbitrary detentions, accompanied by an unrelenting onslaught of misinformation and disinformation campaigns aimed at discrediting UNRWA. We underscore in this regard that UNRWA should be supported until a just and lasting political solution to the plight and the humanitarian needs of Palestinians are fully addressed, and Palestinians can also freely exercise their right to self-determination, have established and strengthened institution of governance thus allowing Palestinians to determine their own future. JEPES in South Africa remains concerned by the constrained financial environment in which UNRWA continues to operate. We therefore call on donors to sustain and increase funding to UNRWA, including predictable, flexible, and un-earmarked funding to enable the agency to continue providing its neutral, life-saving assistance and services, and to respond effectively to evolving humanitarian needs. Such support is critical to strengthening the resilience of Palestine refugees through skills development, direct cash transfers, expanded emergency learning, and digital education programs, particularly in view of the significant risks and vulnerabilities faced by Palestinian children. Within this context, we deplore violations of international law aimed at stripping the protections that Palestine refugees enjoy, as well as those restrictions placed on the freedom of movement of refugees, the destruction of their properties, and the unprecedented settler violence that Palestine refugees have been subjected. This is in part, this is part of a systematic pattern of injustices and oppression of Palestinians since the Nakba in 1948. These actions must be condemned, and the UN Security Council must act to prevent further destruction of Gaza and its people through the ongoing genocide. We extend our condolences to the families of UNRWA staff and of the humanitarian workers and journalists killed in the line of duty, and honor their ultimate sacrifices paid to the service of the most vulnerable in the occupied Palestinian territories. Chairperson, South Africa commends the steady progress made by UNRWA during the reporting period, despite the unprecedented challenges imposed on the agency. We note with appreciation the implementation of 40 of the 50 recommendations contained in the International Review of Mechanisms and Procedures to Ensure Adherence by UNRWA to the Humanitarian Principle of Neutrality, the Colonna Report. We welcome the reforms aimed at strengthening accountability, ethics, compliance and oversight mechanisms which seek to enhance the agency's institutional integrity and effectiveness. UNRWA's efforts to improve its operations, transparency, and accountability must be matched by sustained and strengthened international support, including efforts to counter misinformation and unfounded attempts to undermine or discredit the agency. Such support is essential to enable UNRWA to continue fulfilling its indispensable mandate for Palestine refugees across the region. As I conclude, Jefferson, South Africa reaffirms its commitment to international law, international humanitarian law, and the principles of the UN Charter. We underscore the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination. South Africa will continue to stand in solidarity with the Palestine people in their efforts to realize this fundamental right. Furthermore, South Africa reaffirms its support for UNRWA, which is indispensable for the provision of desperately needed humanitarian aid to guarantee the survival of Palestinians. I thank you, Chairperson.

I thank you, and I give the floor to Spain.

Señor Presidente.

Mr. Chá. Spain aligns itself with the statement by the European Union and the core group of shared commitments. In our national capacity, Spain reaffirms its political and financial commitment to UNRWA, whose mandate of assistance and protection for the Palestine refugee population in the Near East is more relevant than ever. Its role is essential and irreplaceable in the current context. UNRWA's mandate makes it a key actor in international efforts for peace and stability in the region. It is essential for meeting the needs of the Palestine refugee population. The humanitarian situation in Gaza is being worsened by the arrival of winter and torrential rains. Faced with this immediate emergency, it is essential to simultaneously make progress on the humanitarian response and the planning of recovery and reconstruction in Gaza. UNRWA has and must continue to have a prominent role in both areas. Supporting UNRWA is not just a humanitarian and moral imperative, it is also a necessary condition for the effective implementation of resolution 2803 of the Security Council, since it helps preserve the basis of recovery and construction of Gaza and to make progress on the road map for peace that was established in the New York Declaration. As a UN agency, all of the members of the international community must respect its mandate and allow it to work without interference in fulfillment of the obligations of international humanitarian law, as was established by the International Court of Justice in its advisory opinion of 22 October 2025. Spain regrets all attacks against UNRWA and condemns aggression against the agency's facilities and personnel by the Israeli security forces, which this year has led to the destruction of UNRWA's historic headquarters in Jerusalem East, East Jerusalem, and the destruction of the Alandia Education Center. We cannot tolerate any of these attacks, which should be independently investigated. Moreover, we call upon the Israeli Government once again to reverse the legislation against UNRWA and to cease its implementation immediately, which is a serious violation of international law, including of the UN Charter and the Convention on Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations. The work of UNRWA will continue to be essential until we advance towards a just and lasting peace in the Middle East in accordance with international law and the resolutions of the United Nations. That just and lasting peace, including a solution to the question of Palestine refugees, will only be achieved through the effective implementation of the two-state solution, as is defined in the roadmap of the New York Declaration. We must move towards a political solution. That is the only credible political path. On the way, we need UNRWA to continue its work until the Palestinian Authority can return to Gaza and shoulder full government responsibilities and govern a unified Palestine. For UNRWA to continue its work, it must it's necessary that we maintain our full support for the agency, ensuring that it can have the resources it needs to operate. Spain maintains its firm political and financial support for Anwar. Since October 2023, we have committed more than 85 million euros. In 2026, we have paid 18 million euros, and we make an appeal to other donors for them to provide the necessary financial support to allow UNRWA to continue fulfilling its mandate. To conclude, Spain pays tribute to the 391 members of UNRWA’s staff that have lost their lives in the line of duty. We moreover express our gratitude for the work of the Agency’s staff in extremely difficult conditions and our thanks for the Commissioner-General’s leadership. By supporting UNRWA, we are contributing to preserving the dignity of the 6 million Palestine refugees, guaranteeing the viability of the two-state solution, and defending international law and multilateralism with the United Nations at its center. Thank you very much.

I thank you. I give a floor to Indonesia.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Allow me at the outset to express our appreciation to Mr. Saunders for his valuable briefings. Indonesia lends with the statement delivered on behalf of the core group of shared commitment on UNRWA, and wish to add the following in our national capacity. Indonesia affirms its unwavering support for UNRWA, its leadership, and all its personnel. In this regard, Indonesia calls for three concrete steps. First, uphold international law and protect UNRWA's personnel, premises, and operations. The International Court of Justice, in its advisory opinion of 22nd October 2025, affirmed Israel's obligations to agree to and facilitate humanitarian relief, including through UNRWA, and not to impede such relief. Israel must fulfill these obligations. Restrictions that prevent the agency from delivering assistance must be lifted, and rapid, full, safe, and unhindered humanitarian access must be ensured. Indonesia condemns attack and interference affecting UNRWA's personnel, premises, and operations, including the seizure of the Kalandia Training Center in occupied East Jerusalem. These seizures obstruct the agency's work and flagrantly violates international law, including the inviolability of United Nations premises. We emphasize the critical importance of protecting the 28,000 UNRWA personnel who serve as the backbone of the agency. The international community must ensure these violations are thoroughly investigated and perpetrators are held accountable. Second, safeguard UNRWA's mandate and its ability to deliver. Last year, this Assembly renewed UNRWA's mandate until June 2029. We must now ensure that this decision translates into effective operations on the ground. Despite severe constraints, UNRWA continues to demonstrate its essential life-saving role in providing services to nearly 6 million Palestinian refugees. In October, it opened a new health facility in Jabalia. This month, it reported reaching more than 141,000 children in Gaza with printed learning materials. This effort shows what continued support makes possible. access to health care, and the opportunity for children to keep learning even amid devastation. UNRWA's capacity must also be preserved to support Gaza's early recovery. We are dismayed at continuing efforts to dismantle or marginalize the agency. For Indonesia, UNRWA's role remains pivotal in bridging humanitarian relief and early recovery, so that humanitarian assistance not only saves lives, but also helps create conditions for lasting peace. Third, secure, adequate, sustained, and predictable funding. UNRWA's continuing financial crisis threatens essential services across all five fields of operations. UNRWA currently faces a cash flow deficit of $80 million, while accumulated liabilities and recurring financial obligations threaten its longer-term sustainability. A renewed mandate cannot be implemented without the resources to sustain it. Indonesia reiterates its commitment, announced at UNRWA's ministerial meeting during the UN General Assembly High-Level Week in September this year, to continue its annual contribution of $1.2 million to UNRWA. We urge Member States to maintain and, where possible, increase their contributions, fulfill pledges promptly, and provide predictable funding that allows the agency to plan beyond immediate financial emergencies. Palestinian refugees must not bear the cost of the gap between our collective commitments and the resources we provide. Mr. Chair, supporting UNRWA is part of our responsibility to uphold the rights and dignity of the Palestinian people, pending a just and lasting solution to the plight of Palestinian refugees in accordance with relevant United Nations resolutions. Indonesia remains firmly committed to an independent state of Palestine based on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. We will continue to stand with UNRWA and the Palestinian people. I thank you, Mr. Chair.

All

right, thank you. I’d like to give the floor to Senegal.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. At the outset, I’d like to pay tribute to Mr. Christian Sandres, Commissioner General, ad interim of the United Nations Office for Relief and Works Office for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, and his staff, which are devoted to assisting the Palestinian population in the occupied Palestinian territory and in the Middle East. The briefing of the Commissioner-General demonstrates that persecutions, destruction of infrastructure, physical and verbal violence against the staff of UNRWA are ongoing. On top of that is the blockade of humanitarian convoys into Gaza and into the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. These actions are the outcome of persistent impunity, which nothing can justify. Mr. Chairman, the advisory opinion of the ICJ of the 22nd of October 2025 on the obligations of Israel as concerns the presence and activities of the United Nations, other international organizations, and other third-party states on occupied Palestinian territory and in relation with them recalls that Israel and occupying power, I quote, has an obligation to cooperate in good faith with the United Nations by providing every assistance in any action it takes in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, including UNRWA, and in relation to the occupied Palestinian territory." End of quote. In the same opinion, there is also an obligation of Israel under under section 3 of Article 2 of the United Nations Convention on Privileges and Immunities, it says that Israel must, I quote, "ensure full respect for the inviolability of the premises of the United Nations, including those of UNRWA, and for the immunity of the property and assets of the organization from any form of interference," end quote. Based on this opinion, and based on the Convention on Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations and under Resolution 79/138 on the safety and security of humanitarian personnel and the protection of the personnel of the United Nations, my delegation calls upon Israel, the occupying power, to fulfill its obligation to respect and protect humanitarian personnel and to authorize and facilitate the rapid and untrammeled delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in need. This assistance was always provided fully, impartially, and transparently by UNRWA, with no harmful distinction being made. Mr. Chairman, the reasons that led to the adoption of Resolution 302 of the 8th of December 1949 on the creation of UNRWA remain today fully relevant. UNRWA is an essential link for the commitment of the international community for the well-being, the human development, and the protection of Palestine refugees. Over 2.3 million Palestinians are living in conditions that Gravely infringe on their dignity. They're living among ruins due to months of massive destruction and hampering of humanitarian aid. Palestinians more than ever need health care, fuel, food, shelter, and education. Regrettably, repeated violations by Israel of the most basic norms of international humanitarian law and the illegality of its policies and practices in occupied Palestinian territories are gravely impeding the ability to act of UNRWA. The situation calls for a stronger and more coherent response from the international community. The Security Council has been unable to ensure the full fulfillment of its resolutions to ensure unhindered humanitarian and access. The GA has many times renewed the mandate of UNRWA without guaranteeing its effective implementation on the ground. Mr. Chairman, we need to give UNRWA the resources it needs to deliver on its mandate. This is about preserving over 75 years of sacrifices and common work for humanitarian action. This is about guaranteeing that the Palestinian people have humanitarian assistance at a time when they need it most. This is about guaranteeing to over 600,000 children their right to education, health, and food. These are rights that are protected by the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. These are all reasons to advocate for political institution and institutional and financial support to be given to UNRWA, UNRWA which represents now one of the most tangible expressions of multilateral solidarity toward Palestine. In supporting UNRWA, we are supporting a mandate that saves lives, which provides the hope of return and of reconstruction, and which protects the rights of future generations. In closing, my delegation is confident that protecting UNRWA against arbitrary measures is tantamount, is the same as protecting the fundamental inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. I thank you.

I thank you, and I give the floor to the Philippines as the chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Philippines expresses our gratitude to the Acting Commissioner General and all UNRWA personnel for their dedication in carrying out their mandates despite complex and dangerous conditions. We pay tribute to the hundreds of UN staff, including those who have served in UNRWA, who have lost their lives in the line of duty. UNRWA's role is critical in ensuring peace and stability in the region. Through its schools, clinics, and social services that would otherwise not reach Palestinian communities and refugees, it serves as a stabilizing political and social force beyond simply a humanitarian actor. UNRWA’s role in delivering lifesaving humanitarian assistance and relief to those who need it most, in view of the devastation and human catastrophe in Gaza and across the broader Middle East, must be supported. We note that UNRWA still continues to operate under severe political and financial constraints. In this regard, we wish to emphasize the following points. First, the Philippines reaffirms our steadfast support to the mandate and work of UNRWA, aligned with the findings of the Kalona report and integral to the actions outlined in the New York Declaration on Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the implementation of the two-state solution endorsed by the General Assembly in September 2025. The Philippines takes note of the progress made by UNRWA to implement the recommendations of the Cloner report that has completed 42 recommendations out of the total 50 as of the third quarter of 2026. The solidarity of the Palestinian people and in solidarity with the Palestinian people and in support for the work of UNRWA, the Philippines has regularly provided its voluntary financial contribution to the annual program budget of UNRWA, which we intend to continue. The Philippines has doubled its contribution to UNRWA for 2026 from 2025. Second, the support of partners is crucial to maintain UNRWA's operations. The Philippines, together with Japan, hosted the 5th Ministerial Meeting of the Conference of Cooperation Amongst East Asian Countries for Palestinian Development last 22 July 2026 in Pasay City, Philippines. The CPAD participating countries expressed deep concern over the continuing humanitarian crisis in Palestine and underscored the role of CPAD as a platform to promote technical cooperation and humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people, including through UNRWA. Through CPAD 5, the Philippines recognized the critical role of UNRWA in delivering essential and life-saving services to those most in need. including primary health care and education, and committed to continue working with the international community and partners to build a secure, peaceful, and prosperous future that every Palestinian family rightly deserves. Third, the Philippines emphasizes the paramount need to protect civilians and humanitarian personnel. Attacks against civilian populations and infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, water systems, and UN and humanitarian personnel, are unacceptable and must stop, and those responsible must be held accountable. The Philippines calls on all parties to armed conflicts, particularly in Gaza, to uphold international humanitarian law, international human rights law, the refugee law, including Security Council resolution, 1265, and on the protection of civilians. Mr. Chair, the Philippines reaffirms its support for all resolutions aimed at sustaining UNRWA’s mandate. UNRWA represents the international community’s enduring commitment to Palestinian refugees and recognizes the unresolved nature of their displacement. Its work remains indispensable in addressing pressing humanitarian needs, advancing human development, and contributing to regional stability. Finally, the Philippines reaffirms its consistent and principled support for the inalienable right of self-determination of the Palestinian people and to the two-state solution. We call for the full implementation in good faith of relevant Security Council resolutions, including Resolutions 2334 and 2803, in accordance with the UN Charter. We reiterate our position that a two-state solution remains the only viable path to lasting and durable peace, with Palestine and Israel coexisting side by side in peace and security. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I thank you. I give the floor to Libya.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. At the outset, my delegation would like to thank Mr. Christian Saunders, Acting Commissioner General of the UNRWA, for his briefing, and we endorse the statement delivered by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on behalf of the Arab Group. Mr. Chair, we meet today more than three years after the beginning of the aggression against Gaza, three years that have claimed the lives of more than 74,000 martyrs, three years during which approximately 700,000 children have been deprived of education, Now, winter has arrived, adding another chapter to that tragedy. Floodwaters inundate tens of thousands of tents, leaving nearly two million people defenseless in the face of winter, just as they were defenseless in the face of bombs, in a war of extermination, of a cruelty unparalleled in modern history. Its bloodshed has not ceased despite the declared ceasefire. With more than 1,580 people have been killed since its announcement in the West Bank and Jerusalem, Palestinian refugees are experiencing the largest wave of displacement since 1967 after the Israeli occupying forces destroyed the camps of Jenin, Til Karm, and Nur Shams, and unleashed settler militias that have committed crimes In daylight, they have burned homes, uprooted olive trees, and attacked farmers in their fields under the protection and with the complicity of the occupying forces. Amid all of this, UNRWA has remained present when others have been unable to reach those in need. It has paid a heavy price for that. They have lost 395 of their staff in Gaza, the highest number of UN personnel casualties in its history. Its facilities in Gaza have been affected by more than 1,000 incidents, impacting almost all of its installations. We stand here in tribute to their sacrifices and affirm that their blood will not be forgotten. Mr. Chair, from a legal perspective, there is no longer any ambiguity with regard to the obligations of the occupying power. The ICJ, in its advisory opinion of the 22nd of October 2025, found the neutrality of the agency and that the occupying power may neither obstruct its work nor revoke its privileges and immunities. Despite all of this, the occupying power responded with more flagrant defiance of the international community. They have amended their legislations to prevent the agency from access to water, energy, and other facilities. They have also demolished the agency's compound in Sheikh Jarrah, seizing their premises and besieging it in Gaza through a policy of starvation and collective punishment that is known to all. Libya views all of this as part of a systematic campaign aimed at dismantling the Agency and, through it, eliminating the question of Palestinian refugees and the right of return. Thus, Libya calls upon the international community to shoulder its legal and moral responsibilities and call for an immediate repeal of such unlawful laws and measures so that the Agency can be enabled enabled to operate without obstruction. We have to ensure the respect for the inviolability of the UN premises and properties. We have to end impunity and hold the occupying power accountable for the killing of agency personnel, the destruction of its facilities, and provide reparation for all losses sustained by the agency. Turning to the financial situation, the crisis facing the agency is not a crisis of performance or relevance, but rather a crisis of international will. The agency has continued to operate with less than one-third of its requested budget. Its staff have continued to work despite reductions in their salaries. It is an unacceptable that such financial deficit threatens millions of refugees in such a world. We warn that financial strangulation has become the other face of blockade. It has become a means of achieving what bombs and legislations have failed to achieve, namely the dismantling of the agency from within. Thus, we call for adequate, flexible, predictable, and multi-year funding. to spare the Agency from measures affecting its essential services or its workforce. We have to increase allocations from the UN regular budget. In this vein, we commend the progress made by the Agency in implementing the recommendations of the Independent Review on Neutrality. This is a practical response to the campaigns of incitement and systematic disinformation targeting the Agency. These were nothing but a political cover for efforts to dismantle the Agency. Turning to the mandate of the Agency, Libya reaffirms that UNRWA is a subsidiary body established by this Assembly pursuant to resolution 302. Its mandate has been renewed until June 2029. Therefore, Deciding on its future is a matter exclusively within the competence of this Agency, not the occupying power nor any external pressures. My country rejects any proposals aimed at dismantling the Agency, reducing its mandate, or transferring its responsibilities to host countries. Libya stands in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt, who have borne the greatest burden for decades. Mr. Chair, we have just heard in this hall the representative of the occupying power when he declared that the time of UNRWA has come to an end and that the time for accountability is due. We Confirm, indeed, the time for accountability has arrived. Accountability for the killing of 395 UN staff members. Accountability for the killing of more than 74,000 Palestinians. Accountability for the destruction of schools over the heads of the displaced. As for UNRWA, the UN has investigated every allegation and taken the necessary measures in response, completing 42 out of 50 recommendations to strengthen its neutrality. The representative of the occupying power was correct when he said that they are not the firefighters of the Middle East. Rather, they are the ones who have been fueling its fire since 1948. Onwar’s time will not end by decision of the occupation, but when the occupation ends and the last refugee returns home. In conclusion, Libya reiterates that the only lasting solution to the question of Palestinian refugees lies in the realization of their right of return and compensation in accordance with GA resolution 194, the end of the occupation, and enabling the Palestinian people to exercise their right to self-determination and establish their independent state with holy Jerusalem as its capital. Until that date, UNRWA will remain a living testament to this organization's responsibility towards the people people dispossessed of their land and whose sons and daughters were displaced. UNRWA will remain for as long as the Palestinian question endures. Libya will remain at its side and at the side of Palestine, its peoples, its cause, and its right, until the very last refugee returns home. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I thank you. I give the floor to Tekia.

Mr.

Chair, distinguished delegates, we wish to convey our sincere appreciation to Commissioner General Sanders for his comprehensive and profound briefing. Since its establishment in 1970, Türkiye is deeply proud to chair the Working Group on the Financing of UNRWA. Our esteemed Norwegian colleague, as the rapporteur of the working group, has presented the annual report of the working group to the Fourth Committee. We strongly encourage all Member States to give due consideration to the recommendations outlined in the report, as explained by Norway. Mr. Chair, for over seven decades, ARWIVA has served as an indispensable pillar of stability in the region. The Agency derives its mandate from the UN General Assembly as the Agency's parent organ. However, in recent years, UNRWA's capacity to fulfill this mandate is tested like never before. Severe restrictions on the Agency's operations have rendered it nearly impossible to fulfill its mandate and continue delivering essential services to Palestine refugees in need. ARAWA is facing financial crisis due to recent funding reductions by several donors. At the same time, a defamation campaign has been waged against the agency. The association of ARAWA with terrorism is unacceptable. Mr. Chair, 395 ARAWA personnel and members of their families have lost their lives in violent attacks. Demolition of ANRWA's headquarters in East Jerusalem is a clear violation of international law. Israel's prohibition of ANRWA and its following actions, including the demolition of an unlawful entry into ANRWA premises, are a clear challenge to the international community. Winter is now under way in Gaza. It is imperative that humanitarian aid be delivered to Gaza, and UNRWA must remain an indispensable partner, given its presence on the ground, operational capacities, and extensive experience. Mr. Chair, Türkiye will continue to provide strong political, financial, and in-kind support to UNRWA. UNRWA office in Ankara has been swiftly established. This represents another concrete demonstration of Türkiye's enduring support for UNRWA. We have deposited our annual voluntary contribution of 10 million US dollars to UNRWA. The Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency has also dispersed 2 million US dollars of its 3 million pledge to UNRWA for the logistic cost of wheat flour delivery. The international community should be vocal to shield UNRWA from political attacks, operational obstacles, and the risk of financial collapse. The agency has showed incredible resilience and dedication in fulfilling its mandate in the face of challenging circumstances. We share the burden now collectively to keep UNRWA high in the international agenda and ensure that it can continue its essential role in supporting Palestine refugees. I thank you.

Thank you, and I give the floor to Nicaragua.

Mr. Chair. Nicaragua is grateful for the presentation on UNWRA’s activities and recognizes the commitment of its staff, who continue to provide assistance to the Palestinian people in extremely difficult circumstances. For yet another year, this Committee is considering the situation of millions of Palestine refugees who, after waiting for decades, still have not received a solution to their situation. The circumstances have changed, the needs are worse, the humanitarian challenges remain enormous, and our collective responsibility to support the Palestinian people and to guarantee respect for their rights must remain intact. Nicaragua considers that at this stage, our efforts should focus on responding to the most urgent needs of the Palestinian population, creating the conditions to allow Palestinian families to little by little, restore security and return to normal lives. The true recovery of Gaza will require their inhabitants being able to go back to their homes, being able to rebuild their communities, receive medical care, continue to educate their children, and be able to live without the constant fear of occupation, aggression, and attempted extermination. Chair, for decades, UNRWA has represented much more than a mechanism for the distribution of assistance. Its schools, health centers, and social programs have supported generations of Palestinian refugees, preserving opportunities for education, care, and development, even in the most difficult moments. Today, as thousands of families are dealing with the consequences of the destruction and displacement caused by Israel and promoted by complicit European countries, UNRWA's experience is essential for any serious recovery effort. Therefore, Nicaragua welcomes the General Assembly's decision to renew UNRWA's mandate until June of 2029 as an expression of the international community's commitment to Palestinian refugees and to the continuity of the services that they need. We also recognize the dedication of its Palestinian staff and staff members of all nationalities, whose work has made it possible to keep spaces for care, education, and assistance open in the midst of deeply painful circumstances. We honour the memory of those that have been killed in the line of duty, and we reiterate the responsibility of Israel as the occupying power to guarantee the protection and safety of all humanitarian workers on the occupied Palestinian territory. Chair, Nicaragua stresses the importance of the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice in October 2025, which reaffirmed Israel's obligations as occupying power to meet the essential needs of the population and to facilitate the relief activities of the United Nations, including UNRWA. We believe it is essential that these obligations be respected and that there be good faith cooperation with the United Nations in accordance with the Charter and international law. Mr. Chair, Nicaragua has maintained a historic position of solidarity with Palestine based on the defense of sovereignty, the self-determination of peoples, and respect for international law. We reiterate our support for the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to self-determination, to an independent and sovereign state, and the right to return of Palestinian refugees, in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the United Nations. We call upon all States to reject defamation and disinformation campaigns aimed at besmirching the Agency, to protect the heroic staff of UNRWA, to increase funding, and to respect its mandate. Nicaragua will continue to support the efforts of the United Nations and of the international community, which contribute to alleviating the suffering of the Palestinian people, strengthen dialogue, and to move towards a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace in the Middle East. Thank you very much.

Thank you. I give the floor to Lebanon.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. First, we would like to thank Mr. Kristiansand for his briefing. Mr. Chair, for more than 70 years, Lebanon has been one of the pioneer countries hosting Palestinian refugees, and it continues to do so, despite the succession of crisis and wars on its soil. This year proved how vital and adaptive UNRWA is. Following the severe military escalation starting March 2nd, thousands of Palestinian refugees were massively displaced from the south of Lebanon. activated its targeted emergency response in Lebanon on March 4, swiftly deploying operations and providing for shelter, critical health care, hygiene, and logistical support. Yet today, the Agency is under constant attack. The Secretary General warned in September 2026 that UNRWA’s work and entire mandate are in jeopardy. Mr. Chair, Lebanon expresses its deep concern over the ongoing campaign targeting UNRWA, its staff, its premises, its mandate, through the killing of UNRWA staff, the restrictive Knesset bills, the denial of entry visas for the agency staff, the forced entry and seizure of some UNRWA sites, a campaign that has persisted unabated for over three years. This relentless pressure represents a direct attack on the rights and dignity of millions of Palestinian refugees who rely on UNRWA for essential services. Lebanon once again underscores its full commitment to the mandate granted to UNRWA by the General Assembly in its Resolution 302, and the importance of ensuring that its operations proceed unimpeded. We wish to express our solidarity with UNRWA and to offer our condolences for the loss of close to 400 staff members since the start of the war in Gaza, the highest death toll in the history of UN agencies. We also condemn all the attacks on UNRWA premises, emphasizing the inviolability of UN premises. Mr. Chair, despite all difficulties and challenges, UNRWA has continued to carry out its humanitarian mission. Lebanon underscores that UNRWA's continued presence remains absolutely indispensable, whether in the Palestinian territory, in Lebanon, or other host countries. At the same time, Lebanon welcomes the Agency's noticeable progress on implementing the reform agenda arising from the independent review of UNRWA's impartiality conducted by Ms. Colonna in 2024 and encourages the Agency to maintain those efforts by continuing to use the Colonna Report as a benchmarking tool to enhance neutrality, transparency, and operational efficiency. Mr. Chair, among all UNRWA’s beneficiaries, children are the most vulnerable and the most affected. When UNRWA faces a severe funding shortfall, every funding gap becomes a gap in a child’s education. A generation may be lost, and the long-term consequences will not stop at the camp gates. In light of this, Lebanon expresses its deep concern over UNRWA's precarious financial situation that has major implications on its operations at times of increasing needs, as a result of the abysmal humanitarian situation in Gaza, the ongoing forced displacement in the West Bank, and the dire humanitarian and socioeconomic conditions in Lebanon. Mr. Chair, Lebanon has given what it can, and a host country cannot hold this humanitarian responsibility alone. Lebanon stresses the centrality of UNRWA’s role in safeguarding the rights of Palestinian refugees and emphasizes that there is no alternative to the Agency until a just, comprehensive, and lasting solution to the Palestinian refugee question is achieved. Such a solution must include the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to return to their homeland, in accordance with international law, and in particular, UN General Assembly Resolution 194. Investing on UNRWA is a shared responsibility and a common interest of the international community. Therefore, the international community must uphold its commitments and provide predictable and adequate resources to enable UNRWA to fulfil its mandate effectively. I thank you, Mr. Chair.

I thank you. I now call to Pakistan.

Pakistan commends UNRWA’s indispensable role and pays tribute to its leadership and heroic staff who delivered life-saving assistance under unimaginably dangerous conditions. close to 400 agency personnel have been killed in Gaza since October 2023, laying down their lives in the line of duty. For over seven decades, UNRWA has sustained millions of Palestinian refugees across Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria, providing education, health care, relief, shelter, and dignity. Its work Its work has helped avert humanitarian collapse and preserve regional stability. No organization can substitute for its mandate, capacity, and experience. UNRWA is a beacon of hope and a platform for many to achieve their dreams. It should remain that way. However, today, this vital institution remains under the gravest assault in its history. its mandate questioned, its staff vilified, its facilities attacked, and its very existence threatened. These are not isolated developments. They are part of a broader strategy to erase the identity of Palestinian people, to deny much-needed humanitarian aid, and to extinguish their aspirations for statehood and self-determination. By undermining the Agency, Israel seeks to remove the last remaining structure that sustains Palestinian refugees. Israel’s legislation seeking to ban UNRWA and revoke its immunities violates international law and UN Charter. It is an affront on this Assembly, which established UNRWA through Resolution 302 in 1949. Further measures adopted by Israel in December 2025, and actions against UNRWA’s facilities in occupied East Jerusalem have compounded this assault. We reject these actions in the strongest terms. They have no legal validity. No Member State has authority to dissolve or dismantle a United Nations agency established by this body. As affirmed by the International Court of Justice in its advisory opinion of October 2025, Israel is under an obligation to facilitate relief provided by United Nations and its entities, particularly UNRWA. The agency enjoys privileges and immunities accorded under international law and must be allowed to operate unhindered throughout the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem. Chair, The chronic underfunding of UNRWA must be addressed. The organization is facing a dire financial shortfall of over 80 million dollars. This must be filled. Ultimately, UNRWA's continued role is inextricably linked to the unresolved question of Palestinian refugees. A just and lasting settlement must uphold their rights, including their right to return, in accordance with General Assembly resolution 194. Until such a settlement is achieved, the Agency must be enabled to fulfill its humanitarian mandate. Chair, after more than three years of war, President Trump’s 20-point peace plan and the Sharm el-Sheikh Peace Summit agreement offered hope. That hope must translate into lasting relief, reconstruction, and a permanent cessation of hostilities. Pakistan commends Egypt, Qatar, Türkiye, and the United States for their mediation efforts. A just, comprehensive, and lasting peace requires ending Israeli occupation, ensuring refugees’ rights and return of Palestinian refugees, and advancing a credible, time-bound political process consistent with international law and relevant UN resolutions, leading to an independent, sovereign, and contiguous state of Palestine on the pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds al-Sharif as its capital. Pakistan stands with Palestinian people in their quest for self-determination, peace, and justice. I thank you.

I thank you. May give the floor to Japan.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. For more than 70 years, Japan has provided assistance to UNRWA to support Palestinian refugees across the Middle East. Japan fully recognizes the important role that UNRWA plays in providing essential services and humanitarian assistance, and this year, Japan has contributed about $35 million to the agency. In Gaza, despite the ceasefire agreed in October 2025 and the continued efforts to advance the comprehensive plan, around 1,600 Palestinians have reportedly been killed over the past year. At the same time, the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire, and particularly as winter approaches, the urgency of addressing basic humanitarian needs cannot be overstated. In this respect, it is extremely important to sustainably ensure an enabling environment for humanitarian assistance activities by UNRWA and other international organizations, including through unhindered humanitarian access. Adequate shelter must be made available to families who have lost their homes and are now exposed to increasingly harsh conditions, including recent widespread flooding in Gaza. Equally, access to clean water and sanitation must be ensured to prevent the further deterioration of public health conditions. The provision of essential medical supplies is also needed to protect the most vulnerable. Against this backdrop, UNWRA's operational capacity and experience on the ground serve a critical function in delivering assistance to those who need it most. The situation in the West Bank is also alarming. The continued expansion of settlement activities, together with the escalation of settler violence, undermines prospects for a two-state solution. Addressing Palestinian refugees' needs and ensuring their protection are essential to promoting peace and stability throughout the Middle East. Mr. Chair, ensuring UNWRA's neutrality helps it carry out its mandate more effectively. In this regard, Japan acknowledges the progress made by the agency in implementing 42 of the 50 recommendations of the Corona report and encourages it to continue working towards full implementation. Transparency and accountability are essential in this process. It is therefore important that Member States are kept updated regularly on the implementation status of the remaining recommendations, including challenges encountered. CIPAI encourages UNRWA to pursue its ongoing efforts to strengthen its governance and to clarify its plans for sustaining these efforts beyond the full implementation of the recommendations. We believe that UNRWA's expertise and capacity should be appropriately utilized, while the Palestinian Authority (PA) should continue to advance its reforms in a steady and tangible manner. Strengthening the institutional capacity, governance, and financial sustainability of the PA is indispensable to improving the lives of Palestinians and ultimately realizing a two-state solution. In this regard, Japan has consistently supported Palestine's medium- to long-term economic viability and state-building efforts in close coordination with the PA. We remain committed to contributing to strengthening the foundations for a peaceful and prosperous future. In conclusion, we reaffirm our determination to make every effort to support Palestinian refugees and contribute to peace and stability in the region. Thank you.

I thank you. I give the floor to Mexico.

Mr. Chair, Mexico recognizes and is grateful for the invaluable humanitarian work carried out by the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, UNRWA. We firmly maintain that its mandate is essential for meeting the needs of millions of Palestine refugees and guaranteeing their access to essential education, health and social assistance services on the occupied Palestinian territory in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. Therefore, Mexico supported the renewal of the Agency's mandate until 30 June 2029, which this General Assembly decided upon with the support of 151 States. We regret the fact that, a year on from the ceasefire, the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains critical. According to the most recent UNRWA report, in the past year, more than 1,500 deaths were recorded and more than 5,800 people injured. 84% of the population depends on water distributed in tanker trucks, and around 280,000 people are living in displacement sites that face the risk of flooding or in unsafe buildings that are unprepared for the arrival of winter. In Gaza, UNRWA remains a fundamental pillar of the humanitarian response, despite the conditions. Around 1.98 million Palestinians, which represents 94% of the population of the Gaza Strip, depend on housing and assistance services provided by the agency. My country recognizes UNRWA’s efforts to strengthen its internal mechanisms and to follow up on the recommendations from the Colonna report, of which 42 out of 50 have been concluded. Transparency, accountability, and compliance with the principle of neutrality are essential to preserve confidence in this agency. Mexico expresses its deep concern over attacks and incidents that have affected the personnel and facilities of UNWRA. According to the most recent annual operational report of the agency, between 7 October 2023 and 31 December 2025, 395 people who worked for the agency or supported its activities in Gaza lost their lives as a result of hostilities. This is the greatest loss of staff in the history of the United Nations. Today, we pay tribute to their memory and we demand independent investigations. Faced with the enormous human and material cost that the Agency has faced, Mexico reiterates that humanitarian personnel and the facilities of the United Nations must be respected and protected in accordance with international humanitarian law and the applicable international obligations. The measures adopted by the Israeli authorities, which hinder UNRWA's operations and which have affected its facilities in occupied East Jerusalem, have compromised the Agency's ability to assist the Palestinian population. We reiterate that UNRWA has the experience, the infrastructure, and the operational capacities needed to continue meeting the needs of the Palestinian population, including in the period following hostilities. The international community must make sure that the Agency has the resources it needs to be able to operate in a safe, secure, and impartial way, with sufficient humanitarian access and without undue restrictions. Mr. Chair, Mexico reiterates its support for the irreplaceable political work done by UNRWA in the region. We reiterate our position: we advocate for a comprehensive solution to the situation in Palestine. The two-state solution must be accompanied with education for the children in the area, with narratives of peace that encourage empathy, humanity, acceptance of the other, in order to counter hate speech and division. Thank you very much.

I thank you. I give the floor to Bangladesh.

Thank you, Chair. I thank the Commissioner General for UNRWA and the Rapporteur of the Working Group on the Financing of UNRWA for their briefing. I also thank the Commissioner General for the report on the work of UNRWA for 2025. UNRWA continues to be a beacon of hope for Palestinian refugees since it was established. Despite extraordinary challenges and unprecedented obstacles imposed by Israel, UNRWA has maintained the delivery of humanitarian assistance and protection for registered Palestinian refugees. UNRWA personnel remained on active duty as frontline humanitarian responders. We pay our deepest tribute to the 395 UNRWA staff members who have lost their lives in the line of duty. Unfortunately, despite repeated calls from the international community, including through numerous General Assembly and Security Council resolutions, the killing and attacks have not been stopped, rather escalated alarmingly. The death toll of UNRWA personnel is rising and UNRWA installations are being damaged. Such onslaught on humanitarian workers violates international humanitarian law. These responsible must be held accountable. We condemn the killing of UN personnel, attacks against them, destruction of UN agency premises, violations of privileges and immunities, restriction on movement, denial of visa, and all other forms of harassment by Israeli authorities in wider disregard of international law. Mr. Chair, we regret that UNRWA’s financial situation has worsened considerably in recent years. With the current humanitarian devastation in Palestine, it is impossible for UNRWA to sustain its operation without additional funding. It is alarming that UNRWA's budget deficit for 2026 is 250 million USD. This includes a cash flow deficit of approximately 70 million US dollar. We are deeply concerned about the unprecedented funding gap and severe cash flow deficit affecting UNRWA's programme budget in 2026. In this regard, we refer to the report of the Working Group on the Financing of UNRWA that urged all Governments to provide unearmarked multi-year funding and to sustain and, where possible, increase their voluntary contributions to UNRWA. It is our collective duty to keep UNRWA fully functional with adequate resources. Bangladesh has been a consistent supporter of UNRWA's critical mandate. and have been making regular contributions to the agency. In keeping with our practice, we will continue to make our modest contribution to UNRWA. To conclude, Bangladesh once again reiterates its support for UNRWA and condemns attacks on the organization, its staff and facilities, and obstruction of its activities. We urge all Member States of the UN to politically and judicially support the vital and life-saving work of UNRWA. I thank you.

I thank you. I give the floor to Yemen.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. At the outset, my delegation wishes to associate itself with the statement delivered by the representative of the Sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on behalf of the Arab Group. We express our appreciation for the pivotal role played by UNRWA. and for the efforts undertaken by the agency in fulfilling its humanitarian mandate and providing essential services to Palestinian refugees. This is done despite the challenges and extremely difficult circumstances in which it operates. Our discussion of this agenda item takes place against the backdrop of the continuing catastrophic humanitarian and living conditions endured by the brotherly Palestinian people. The suffering of hundreds of thousands of displaced persons is worsening with the onset of heavy rains and the arrival of winter, amid the lack of adequate shelter and the deterioration of the infrastructure and basic services. According to information issued by the OCHA, shelters and property belonging to more than 26,000 families have been damaged or destroyed as a result of heavy rains and flooding. More than 6,000 family shelters were destroyed, and damage was suffered by approximately 17,400 others. UNICEF has reported that heavy rains have directly affected more than 106,000 people, while approximately 950,000 displaced persons live in flood-prone areas, including 400,000 people, most of them children, in areas at severe risk. These figures reveal the magnitude of the escalating humanitarian suffering faced by displaced persons, whose tents, shelters, and essential belongings are covered by rainwater. This occurs amid limited means of heating and in the absence of safe shelter. This exposes children, women, and elderly people to the risks of cold weather and disease. This also further exacerbates their health and living conditions. particularly in light of damage to water and sanitation networks and the acute shortage of shelter, supplies, and humanitarian assistance. Mr. Chair, the Republic of Yemen strongly condemns the Israeli legislation and measures aimed at banning the activities of UNRWA and undermining its mandate in the occupied Palestinian territory, as well as targeting its premises, property, and personnel, and the imposition of restrictions on its humanitarian operations. My country affirms that such practices constitute a violation of the Charter of the United Nations and relevant international obligations. These actions also undermine humanitarian efforts aimed at alleviating the suffering of the brotherly Palestinian people. We reject the campaigns of misinformation and disinformation targeting the Agency and its credibility, as well as attempts to terminate its mandate, reduce the scope of its activities, or transfer its responsibilities to host countries or other entities. We further affirm that UNRWA's mandate is grounded in resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly, and its responsibilities towards Palestinian refugees cannot be bypassed or undermined. Mr. Chair, the Republic of Yemen welcomes the steps taken by UNRWA and the progress achieved in implementing the recommendations of the Independent Review Group. And in this regard, we underscore the importance of the advisory opinion issued by the ICJ concerning Israel's obligation as the occupying power with respect to the presence of the United Nations and international organizations in the occupied Palestinian territory, as well as the central role played by UNRWA. It also affirmed the necessity of enabling the agency to continue carrying out its functions without obstruction in accordance with international law and relevant UN resolutions. Mr. Chair, the Republic of Yemen stresses the need to provide the agency with adequate, sustainable, and predictable financial resources to ensure the continuity of its programs and essential services across its five fields of operation. This would also protect millions of Palestinian refugees from falling into deeper deprivation and suffering. We also emphasize the need to ensure the necessary protection for the agency's personnel, facilities, and installations to guarantee the unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance and essential supplies, and to enable the agency to operate independently and effectively in accordance with the mandate entrusted to it by the General Assembly. We further affirm that addressing the humanitarian crisis in Palestine cannot be separated from addressing its political root causes, and that the humanitarian response, important and necessary as it is, cannot serve as a substitute for ending the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories. It cannot substitute for achieving a just, comprehensive, and lasting political settlement leading to the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state on the basis of the 4th of June 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative. Mr. Chair, in conclusion, the Republic of Yemen renews its full solidarity with the brotherly Palestinian people in confronting the harsh humanitarian conditions they are enduring. We reaffirm our steadfast support for their legitimate and inalienable rights. We also renew our support for UNRWA, commend the efforts and sacrifices made by its personnel, and call upon the international community to continue providing political and financial support to the agency safeguard its mandate and ensure its ability to carry out its functions without restrictions or impediments. Protecting UNRWA is not merely a humanitarian imperative; it is an international, legal, and moral responsibility towards the cause and rights of Palestinian refugees and an integral part of international efforts aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace in the region. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you.

Brazil.

The interpreters have provided us with some additional time so that we can hear two more speakers. Brazil has the floor.

Brazil thanks Mr. Saunders for his comprehensive report. I wish we would gather under better circumstances, considering the ceasefire announced in October of last year, which we saw as a necessary first step. towards halting the cycle of violence in Gaza and partially alleviating the dire humanitarian conditions in the territory. Even these limited goals, however, have not fully materialized, as Israel continues to conduct strikes against Gaza and has expanded the area under its direct control. Since the ceasefire, more than 1,500 Palestinians have been killed and over 5,000 injured. Nearly the entire population of Gaza remains displaced without adequate shelter or access to essential services. The health sector has been decimated, and there is not a single fully functioning hospital. There are still major obstacles that prevent the access of humanitarian aid, the commencement of the reconstruction process, and the arrival of the Palestinian National Committee, tasked with overseeing the civilian administration of the territory. Throughout 2026, Israeli actions against UNRWA have escalated beyond the unacceptable restriction on its operations across the occupied Palestinian territory to include the destruction, physical seizure, and continued occupation of UN premises. We have witnessed the occupation of UNRWA's headquarters compound in occupied East Jerusalem and the demolition of its buildings, repeated unauthorized incursions into and the seizure of the Qaliniya Training Center, as well as military attacks affecting UNRWA facilities and personnel in Gaza. Brazil condemns these actions in the strongest possible terms. They constitute grave violations of international law, including the privileges and immunities of the United Nations, and the direct challenge to the international legal order. As reaffirmed by the International Court of Justice in its advisory opinion of October 2025, Israel, as the occupying power, remains under the obligation to facilitate humanitarian assistance provided by the United Nations and its agencies, including UNRWA, in the OPT. It should be a matter of unequivocal condemnation by the international community and the United Nations system as a whole when a member state openly defies its international obligations and deliberately targets the very institutions entrusted by the General Assembly with the mandate to provide life-saving assistance to civilians in need. In the West Bank, including Jerusalem, we are equally alarmed by Israeli measures that further entrench its unlawful presence in the OPT. These include the reclassification of Palestinian land as so-called Israeli state land, the accelerated expansion of illegal settlements, accompanied by increased settler violence, and the advancement of the E1 settlement project, which, if implemented, will seriously undermine the prospects for a two-state solution. Chair, despite these unprecedented challenges, UNRWA remains a cornerstone of support for Palestine refugees across its five fields of operations: Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. Amid growing regional instability and its compounding effects on already vulnerable populations, the agency continues to deliver indispensable humanitarian assistance and essential public services, including healthcare, education, social protection, and livelihood support. Last July, Brazil concluded its one-year chairmanship of UNRWA's Advisory Commission. We take this opportunity to commend the agency for strengthening its governance, neutrality, and integrity frameworks, including through the creation of the working group on neutrality and integrity issues and on information integrity. We remain deeply concerned, however, by the agency's persistent financial deficit, which threatens its ability to sustain essential services across all fields of operation. Brazil commends UNRWA's leadership for its efforts to diversify funding sources, including through increased engagement with non-traditional donors in the private sector, and to strengthen the agency's financial sustainability amid an unprecedented crisis affecting the humanitarian sector as a whole. Nevertheless, financial sustainability cannot come at the expense of the rights of Palestine refugees or the integrity of UNRWA's mandate. In December 2025, the General Assembly reaffirmed its overwhelming support for UNRWA by extending its mandate until 2029. This mandate must be preserved in its entirety. No administrative, financial, or operational measure may alter, restrict, or undermine it. In this regard, Brazil stresses that measures adopted to address the agency's financial constraints must fully safeguard the rights of Palestine refugees in their continued access to essential services in all fields of operation. Such austerity measures must remain strictly temporary, proportionate, and limited to what is necessary to address the agency's immediate financial challenges. They must be periodically revealed and reversed as soon as financial conditions allow. It is equally imperative that member states provide adequate, predictable, and sustainable funding to enable UNRWA to fully discharge the mandate entrusted to it by the General Assembly, and that must be accompanied by firm political support to defend the agency against efforts to undermine its mandate, discredit its personnel, or obstruct its operations. Chair, the only path to a just, stable, and lasting peace in the Middle East lies in the implementation of the two-state solution, with an independent and viable state of Palestine living side by side with Israel in peace and security on the 1967 borders, including the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Until this vision is fully implemented, UNRWA will remain indispensable to preserving the dignity, rights, and hopes of millions of Palestine refugees. We must not allow it to be dismantled. I thank you.

I thank you, and I give the floor to Norway.

As the last speaker, And with great appreciation to the interpreters. Thank you.

Thank you, Chairman, Commissioner General. As we know, UNRWA provides education, health care, humanitarian assistance and protection to millions of Palestine refugees across Gaza, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. Today, these essential and life-saving services are needed more than ever. Yet, we face a critical contradiction: a growing gap between the ambitious mandate we, the Member States, have given UNRWA and the actual resources we provide to achieve it. Supporting UNRWA extends far beyond humanitarian duty. It is a critical investment in regional stability and prospects for a future political solution. The severe and mounting measures constraining UNRWA's operations include legislative restrictions on their activities and communication with Israeli authorities, the forced departure of international personnel from Palestine, and the seizure and demolition of the UNRWA compound in East Jerusalem. Israel must comply with its obligations under international law, as clarified by the ICJ. UNRWA schools, health centers, and emergency operations provide a vital lifeline to communities under immense pressure. Because no other organization can replicate this work at the necessary scale, Norway remains deeply committed to anchoring its continuous support and engagement. But, Chair, predictable funding cannot rest on the shoulders of a shrinking group of donors. Our political support for UNRWA must be matched by adequate, predictable, and sustained financial contributions. An unfunded mandate is a promise unkept. At the same time, we recognize that the severity of the current financial situation may require difficult choices. Hence, we should remain open to reforms that can strengthen UNRWA's financial and operational sustainability. To this end, we support the Commissioner-General's efforts to identify necessary adjustments. While we acknowledge the concerns these measures may raise, any changes must ultimately preserve UNRWA’s mandate and its ability to deliver essential services. Ultimately, we, the UN Member States, must honour our obligation to enable UNRWA to fulfil the mandate entrusted to it by the UN General Assembly. And I thank you.

I thank you, and.

I very sincerely thank the interpreters for their kindness in giving us this additional time. The meeting is adjourned, and we will meet this afternoon at 3:00 PM in this same room. Thank you.